New Arrivals
by IrishGal4Twilight
Summary: Bella has just moved to her father's estate and is intrigued by a young man under the employment of her father. Uncovering dark secrets about both her family's past and his, is she able to piece together something that has been hidden for nearly a century
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Right I'm going to do this as a one-shot (I MIGHT change my mind, it all depends on whether you guys like it or not). I am currently under the influence of Tic-Tacs (woo I passed my 300th without passing out!) and I'm putting off writing an English essay and finishing my other fan-fic (to all of you who have read it, I'm sorry but this helps me to gather more ideas, I'll be back up writing more tomorrow). This is set in the nineteenth century, in either England or New Hampshire (I'll have a vote if I'm carrying on with this).

**Disclaimer:** I own none of the Twilight characters, only whatever situations I dream up in my head.

Bella's POV

I was pulled sharply by Ms Coote pulling my corset tight. She heard my sudden intake of breath and began to torment me.

'Well Miss if you kept with your exercise and not hole yourself up in your library, then maybe you would fit.'

I sighed quietly and returned to holding out my arms. Ms Coote had been my maid for most of my life and she is the only servant who addresses me so directly. During my recent move from my mother's house to my father's estate, we developed a closer bond. Because of her position as my maid, she is of higher placement than the other servants. She is stricter than the kitchen maids but she is more understanding. It was in her that I confided my reasons for choosing the decision to come and live with my father. She, and only she, knew of my inner secrets.

Today was my third day of residence in my father's estate. Traditionally, I should have had a introduction dance yesterday but my father knew of my dislike for all things social. He had invented a brilliant excuse of I taken ill on my first night. He had given me two days to do as I pleased as long as I kept out of sight of the visitors.

I had spent my time exploring my new surroundings. I had sneaked out of the east wing in order to see the endless gardens. My father was lenient with his servants and some of the farther corners of the estate were is disrepair, a sight my mother would have loathed. I fell in love with everything that the estate had to offer, from the overgrown secret havens, to the simply but lavishly decorated rooms, to my own personal area on the third floor of the east wing. To me, I had made a good choice.

I winced as Ms Coote pulled me out of my train of thought. She pulled the final strings tight and tied them neatly. She reached over, behind the dressing screen, and pulled my new, midnight blue, dress for me to see. I examined the embroidery detail on the bodice and the fine quality of the lace that fringed the cuffs. It was one the most finest dresses that I have ever encountered.

She pulled it around me and fixed the ties at the back. I examined my reflection in the window and noticed an improvement in my appearance. I had always been pale, a complexion either loved or loathed by today's society, and my hair was a deep brown, my eyes matched my hair apart from the red tint that appeared in my hair on sunny occasions. I twisted my body around so as I could examine the dress properly and noticed how my new corset made my body more prominent. I had turned seventeen a few months ago but my mother refused to buy me fitted corsets and bodices until I was twenty-one. My father on the other hand, was all too happy to buy me whatever I wished.

Ms Coote pulled my hair back and pinned it into place. She glanced over my dress and fixed the hem and how it hung immediately.

'Now Miss. Today is important for you. You are nearly of age and you need to think of settling down. The young men at this dance are prime candidates for suitors and your father would be delighted if you found one quickly.'

She patted my cheeks firmly, to try and recover some co lour to them without the use of powder. She sighed and waved her hands in the air.

'You'll have to do Miss. I've done my best with you today. 'Tis up to you to make a good impression now.'

She flashed me a smile but warm smile and helped me out of the door. I could not help but notice the change in atmosphere around the house. The air was charged with a sense of anticipation. I recalled back Ms Coote's words and thought about their meaning more deeply. Suitors, to me, it was a word used to describe a young girl's life being bargained off to the highest bidder. I knew my parents well enough to know that they would never let me be pushed into a life where I am not happy. I stepped through the doors leading to the Great Room and kept that thought in my head.

The Great Room was the only room in the house that was off limits at all times to everyone except my father and the senior servants. The room was filled with exquisite tapestries and antiques. The floor was made from marble imported from far away countries, on the ceiling hung a large, crystal candelabra that gave out the most magnificent light when fully lit. The room was empty when I had first seen it all those years ago, but now it was teeming with most of the area's occupants.

As I crossed the room to where my father stood, I could pick out some familiar faces that I had met over the summer's that I had spent here. I could see the Weber's and their daughter Angela, who had grown remarkably since I seen her last. I also spotted the Mallory's chatting politely to the Stanley's, their daughter's Lauren and Jessica stood with Angela and met my gaze as I spotted them. I acknowledged them politely and hurried on. I caught up with my father as he started a conversation with a fairly young, blond man.

'… Well I would have called for you but she seemed fit enough. Never one for crippling illnesses was my Bella. There she is! Isabella, this is Carlisle Cullen. He is the doctor of the area. And this is his lovely wife Esme.'

I shook hands with each of them in turn. Their touch was cold but I thought nothing of it. The weather outside was enough to turn anyone solid. I greeted them politely and followed my father around as he introduced me to his many guests. I turned to walk in the direction that I imagined my father taking when he stopped me. I turned around to face him and waited quietly for him to speak.

'Now Bella, there is something that you should know about the Cullen's before you find yourself another young gossiping lady to talk to. They are respected in the area but two of their sons got into a spot of bother a while back. Nothing too serious in my opinion, but Carlisle insisted that they be punished for their actions. The two sons are now under my employment until they come of age or Carlisle asks for them to be removed. You may see them around the estate sometime. In fact, come to think of it, yourself and the youngest are about the same age… In other words, I wished for you to know the truth before you wander off, filling your head with girl's tales and what not. You may socialize if you wish, I have to run to ask Margle to check the kitchens.'

Margle was my father's butler, the oldest servant under his employment. He was the keeper of keys and was the other servant allowed into my father's personal quarters.

I thought of what my father had just said and could not help but wander, _why_ the two boys had ended up here. Was their crime larger than what my father thought?

One look around the room told me that socializing was a horrific task at this point. All the young girls around me were staring at me and making snide remarks behind their hands to one another.

'… If she steals my Henry then all Hell will break lose…'

'… I heard that she got thrown out of St Catherine's Finishing Academy…'

'… I bet she will end up with Michael…'

The only people who seemed enthusiastic to have my presence were the mothers and the young men. Neither of whom I would like to spend too much time talking to. I looked around again to see if there were any other people that I could chat to without regretting the decision. I spied my father coming out of the servant's door, followed closely by Margle and another young servant who I did not know. He was quite big, his muscles were more pronounced than other young men of his age. I noticed that his face seemed to remind me of Dr Cullen and his wife, I guessed that he was one of their sons. He seemed older than me, by about a year or two. My father caught my gaze and confirmed my suspicions when he gave me a nod. I turned to search the room once again when the Cullen servant went rushing past me.

'Ooof!'

I tripped over my own two feet as he knocked me sideways and was about to hit the hard floor when someone grabbed me. The person had come from behind so I could not see their face, only their concerned voice,

'Are you alright? My brother did not hurt you, did he? He can be such a ghastly person sometimes.'

I turned to face the person when I noticed what he had said. _His brother_, this was the other Cullen brother. I turned to fill my curiosity and was greeted by a glorious sight. The young man was my age but seemed older. His body was not as big as his brother's but was still muscular. His hair was a shiny copper, bronze color and his face looked like an angel's. I stood there opened mouthed while he stood looking at me curiously. He regained his composure faster than I could.

'I do apologize profusely for my brother's behavior. Are you not Isabella Swan, the master's daughter?'

I jumped slightly when he mentioned my name. I have not known anyone in my life who could recognize me from my father's appearance alone. I flushed and looked down, unladylike, and mumbled,

'Yes. How do you do?'

The young man stood there taking in my appearance more than any of the other young men. This made me more uncomfortable. I met his gaze again and noticed that his was smiling.

'My name is Edward by the way. The boulder that just knocked you over was Emmett. Feel free to call for him to do your outside jobs and other hard labor.'

His comment was made to be a joke but I could not help but notice the seriousness he put into his words.

'I had better help downstairs. I hope to see you soon, Isabella.'

He was turning when I mumbled what I had been mumbling for most of my life.

'It's Bella.'

I could have sworn that I heard him chuckle as he walked away. He was out of hearing distance when I spoke but I swore that he had heard me. I walked back to where my father stood, awaiting my arrival, and thought about his words. _Yes, I would like to see you again_.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Right, this is no longer a one shot. After people reviewing it (thank you!) I'm continuing on with it. I'm keeping it in Bella's POV for the moment until I decide whether I should do it in Edward's POV or not. Thanks to all of you who read and reviewed this! Your help is appreciated!!

**Disclaimer:** All of the characters are owned by Stephenie Meyer.

Bella's POV

As soon as the ghastly event was over, I fled up the stairs and shut the door firmly shut behind me. That was one experience that I hoped to never relive again. Well… there was one part that I hoped to do again. But unfortunately, I could not make it happen on my own.

As soon as Edward had walked away, the dinner was served. I usually had quite an appetite for someone of my size, but the delicacies in this part of the country were very different to what I was accustomed to. I ended up picking at my food and only nibbling on the edible vegetables. The meat was avoidable completely.

After the dinner, the dancing began. I participated in the traditional first set with my father, but stood to the side for the remainder of the evening. I stood behind Margle, in attempts to hide myself from the overenthusiastic young men. I shuffled towards the door many times but was stopped by friends of my father's. I have never known that my father knew so many people. When I finally exited the room unnoticed, I darted for the servant's stairs. I did not bother with the main staircase as it was in full view of the main entrance and I was more likely to meet someone going up it.

I ran up the six flights of steps and stopped when I thought I heard footsteps coming down it. I darted into a small alcove in the bare stone wall and hid. As soon as I was out of sight, the footsteps stopped. I waited for a few minutes until I was sure no-one was there. I was sure that there had been someone there before hand, but as I climbed up, no-one was to be seen.

I skipped quickly down the hall and slid into my room, closing the door behind me. I did not call for Ms Coote as she did not expect me to be ready for another hour or two. I walked over to my bathroom and attempted to undress. The dress was tied quite tightly and was near impossible to get off. I was tempted to use my letter knife to undo the ties but then I unraveled them. The corset was another matter entirely. I gave up on untying the strings and settled for loosening it and wriggling out of it. I ran myself a bath of cold water, glad to be rid of the itchy starch powder that lined my new corset.

I was settling in the cold marble bath when I heard my door open. I froze when I remembered that my nightly jug of water and wash cloth had not been placed on my dressing table. I stared at the bathroom door, trying to decipher the footsteps of the servant in my quarters. I stood up quickly and grabbed a toweling robe when I realized that they were the footsteps of a male servant. I silently cursed the head servant, Gaddie, for allowing a male servant into my room. The situation was embarrassing enough without the added fact the I was locked in my bathroom in nothing but a robe.

I waited for the door to close, and after several minutes, I decided that it was safe to enter my room again. I opened the door a crack and spotted the figure of a young man, illuminated in the moonlight shining through my window. The young man glanced towards me when I was shutting the door and I leaned against it in desperate attempts to keep him out.

My breathing got harder and my face grew warm for a reason that I did not know. I stared at the door handle and noticed it's coppery shine, much like the hair of the young man outside the door. I scalded myself in my head, telling myself that he was a servant and the son of a well respected doctor and most likely not interested in me in the slightest.

The only problem was that my hand was beginning to turn the handle of it's own accord. A large part of my mind was telling me to open it and see if he was still there, eyes shining in the silvery moonlight and face lit up like a star atop a Christmas tree. I reasoned with myself before opening the door once more.

The room was once again empty. I walked over to pull the curtains over my window when I noticed the moon hanging low in the sky. It was a beautiful sight. I gazed at the round glowing orb as it hung over the sprawling gardens like a frozen meteor.

I sighed and turned to close the curtains again. I turned on my aged gas lamp and went to pick up my dress and corset. I reached down to where I thought I had dropped them but my hands felt nothing but the smooth woven rug. I wondered to myself whether Edward had put them away and my suspicions were confirmed by the sight of the blue dress hanging over my dressing screen. It was a nice gesture but I could not help feeling embarrassed that Edward had seen my undergarments, and knew that I was undressed in the next room. I kept reminding myself that he probably thought I was a spoiled little snob or some horrid country girl. I climbed into the large high bed and waited impatiently for sleep to come.

After two hours of tossing and turning, I had given up on trying to go to sleep. Ms Coote had already checked on me while I feigned sleeping and the guests had left a while ago. I climbed out of bed and reached for my winter coat. I put on my chain which held a locket given to me by my grandmother. It was impossible to open but the emblem on the front was intriguing and I loved it. I did not bother with dressing properly, walking alone at this time at night did not call for certain attire. I slipped on my quietest shoes and tiptoed down the hall. Although most of the rooms on this floor were part of my personal area, there was still a chance of a servant doing housework in some of the rooms.

I used the servant's staircase once more and was nearly caught by Margle bringing my father some 'medicinal' whiskey. I silently cursed as I hid behind the sheet's room's door. I was appalled at my unladylike behavior but I had always been free to use language in my father's house, he was not as strict as my mother in that respective.

I stepped out into the little courtyard area that the servants used when they had their lunch. There were lots of little potted plants dotted around the place and someone had hung a length of chiffon around the fence in attempts to liven the place up a bit. I walked swiftly towards the center of the gardens where a group of trees sat. I had been climbing them for years during my summer's spent here. There were certain branches that could be easily accessed and that led to other higher branches. I was normally clumsy when it came to climbing but this type came naturally to me.

I stepped up to the farthest tree and reached up to grab the little hole that I used as a support hold. I pulled myself up onto the first branch and turned to hop onto the next. I continued with my climb until I was a good five foot in the air.

I was about to jump up onto the furthest branch when I noticed a shadow caused by the moon shining through the canopy of leaves. It was a definite shadow of someone's shoulder. I turned to look up to see who was in my favorite spot when I gasped.

I stared into golden eyes and nearly lost my footing. I broke Edward's nearly hypnotic gaze and concentrated on not falling. I heard him chuckle slightly and looked back up to scowl at him. He had moved further along the branch in order to make room for me and was smiling genuinely at me.

'So we meet again.'

I held his gaze and sat gently beside him. I had always been told to keep eye contact in order to be seen as a confident young woman but his gaze startled me slightly. Aside from the unusual coloring of his eyes, he seemed to burn into my eyes, as if he was looking into my mind. I broke off, embarrassed, and took in the beautiful sight that lay before us. I have to admit that it paled in comparison to the person sitting beside me. I stared at my shoe and tried to form coherent sentences.

'Do you come here often?'

I desperately tried to keep my eyes from meeting his but I was failing miserably. I kept fingering my locket and twisted the chain around my fingers. My eyes kept reaching his cheeks, his nose, his forehead, before I wrenched them back to the trees above, the view ahead, my hands twitching in my lap.

'Yes. Most nights actually. It's a sight to be seen, although, it has seemed to have grown less beautiful lately.'

'Really? Why do you think that? I think that it is still as beautiful as when I was first brought here.'

I looked back up at him and felt my chest swell up with an unfamiliar feeling. He was smiling and his smile only added to his beauty.

'Something has come here to replace it's former hold in my heart.'

_I _was the only change to have come here in over two years but I was too doubtful of myself to think that he was relating to me. I averted my gaze once again and tried to keep conversation flowing.

'How are you finding life here?'

'Fine. I do not mind the work, sometimes I enjoy it. I definitely enjoy not having to live with my sisters, although I do miss living with my parents and other brother.'

I was slightly surprised by the fact that he had other siblings. Dr Cullen and Mrs Cullen seemed too young to be parents to children older than I.

'You're lucky to have so many siblings. Sometimes…'

I stopped. I never spoke to anyone in depth before and I never told anyone apart from Ms Coote about my wishes and past. I glanced back at Edward and noticed that he was staring at me curiously, as if I was doing something unknown to him.

'Yes. I suppose I am lucky in that respect. I hear that you're an only child. Do you wish that you had siblings?'

I could not help but answer his question honestly. I felt annoyed by the fact that I was opening up to a complete stranger that I had known only for a few hours.

'Most of the time, yes. My life… My life has been lonely for the most part. I never really got along with anyone growing up apart from Ms Coote. My mother liked to travel and her new husband is captain of a ship. He travels a lot, that is the reason I moved here.'

He was silent for a few seconds before replying.

'Do you not like the sea?'

'No. I just do not like moving from place to place. My father used to say that I did not handle change well. I suppose that I am a constant being, I even hate when my routines are changed.'

He smiled slightly and looked at the moon. It was now hanging over the west side of the garden. It was growing late.

'We should get back before people start to worry.'

He stood up and dropped expertly to the lower branches. He reached around and held out a hand to help me down. I could have easily made it down by myself but my mind was telling me to keep quiet and take his hand. His touch was still cold and his hand was strong. When we were on the ground again, he held out his arm for my to hold on. I eagerly took it and let him lead me up to the servant's courtyard. I wondered why he had known that I had wanted to use this door.

We reached the door and he tried to open it. It stuck fast and the chain rattled behind it. We were locked out. He reached up and pushed the window beside the door open. He flashed me a quick smile before climbing in and opening the door.

'It happens all the time. Gaddie locks up after two.'

He stepped aside to let me in and followed me to the staircases.

'I'm sorry for before. I did not know you where there. We were told that you and your father would not be in bed until after the dance.'

I turned to reply when I saw him looking at my locket. He stepped forward timidly and reached out a hand.

'May I take a look at your locket? It looks similar to one my great-grandmother owned.'

I reached back and took off the chain, handing the locket to him. He turned it around it his hands and stared at the emblem for a while.

'It doesn't open. My mother tried to get a welder to break it open for me but I would not let her damage it…'

I nearly covered my mouth with my hand in order to stop myself talking. Edward smiled again and turned the locket on it's side. His fingers moved quickly, as if they were opening a hidden clasp, and he held out the locket to me.

'Now it's open.'

He turned and swiftly headed up the back staircase to the annex. I looked at the locket. It lay open in my hand. Inside the locket, on one side, was an imprint of some piece written in a foreign language. I looked carefully through the words, trying to pick out any that I understood. I gave up and looked at the other side. There was an aged drawing of a beautiful woman lying there. I picked it up carefully and turned it around. On the other side were the words:

_Elizabeth Swan_

_1722_

_By_

…

I could not make out the name of the artist. I put the picture back in the locket and closed it back over. I examined the clasp mechanism and tested myself in opening it. It was tricky, but do-able. I ran back up the stairs and was through my door in a matter of seconds. I threw my coat on the floor and was about to climb back into bed when I had an urge to look out the window. I opened the curtains slightly and stared out to the gardens. I could see the trees from where I stood and I could just about see Edward sitting in the same spot as before. I smiled to myself and closed the curtains, putting out my gas lamp before climbing into my bed. I was not smiling for seeing Edward again, I was smiling because he was looking and smiling at me too. I fell into a deep slumber with two things on my mind. Firstly, Edward and secondly, the mysterious young woman who was in my locket.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Thanks for all of your support as always! I'm doing this chapter in Bella's POV again. Currently I'm planning what I'm going to do for Paddy's Day (crap parade where I live but still 'bhí craic mór agam nuair a bhí mé le mo chairde!) so I might get distracted while writing or pass out from too much sugar (now there's a first!). So 'Go raibh maith agat agus seo é Chapter 3'!! (Basically: thanks and here's chapter 3)

**Disclaimer: **I own the books Twilight, New Moon and Eclipse but the author's name is still Stephenie Meyer

Bella's POV

I awoke to a dismal scene. The curtains were fully opened, but little light entered the room. There was a thundering sound of rain pounding off the glass and walls. Ms Coote was arranging my clothes for the day and there was a thin stream of steam drafting from the bathroom.

I dropped my feet to the floor and nearly shouted in pain. The woven rug was icy and burned my feet. Ms Coote rushed over to my side and lay a pair of cotton slippers by the bed post.

'It's not a day for the outdoors now, Miss. You may stay inside today.'

I made a face at the thought of staying indoors but quickly remembered the library, the locket, and most importantly, Edward. I was about to ask Ms Coote of what she knew about him but held my tongue. A young woman should not seem overly eager about a young man, especially if she had only met him, even more so if he was under the employment of her father.

I reasoned with myself as I slipped on the little socks of material onto my feet. Edward was from a respected family, his father was a doctor. _But he had committed a crime_. As my father said, it was not a serious crime, his father just wanted the boys to do work as punishment for their actions.

I walked slowly over to the door, catching glances out the window as I went by. There was a thick cover of cloud and the sun could not be seen breaking through the dark screen of dismay. I could barely see the tree that Edward and I sat on last night.

'Did you meet anyone you liked last night?'

Ms Coote was still fixing my clothes behind the dressing screen but her voice was knowing and I could hear the teasing in it. She knew me too well.

'I did meet someone but they did not stay for too long.'

I hoped that my answer would dispel any questions about dancing ability or build.

'So he was busy? Too busy to spend a few moments dancing a set or two?'

'Yes. He left before the dinner was served.'

I closed my eyes and turned to the door. Only servants left before the dinner was served, she would pick up on that piece of information.

'Now tell me Miss Bella. Was he of big build or just enough to do?'

She had come around the screen and was striding over to the jug and wash cloth to prepare it for my morning routine. Her eyes were teasing.

'He was enough for me, thank you.'

'Did you see Edward again after you met him?'

She was facing me now with a smile on her face. She crossed her arms across her chest and seemed triumphant, she had figured it out. I could feel the heat radiating off my face and I looked towards the floor, suddenly interested in the details of the rug.

'He's a nice young man, is Edward. Very good head on him. Intelligent and athletic. Although, I'd prefer his brother if he was not married. I take it that he took you out to that place of his.'

I stared at her curiously. She had spent many summers here with me and had been in constant contact with Gaddie, who was her half-sister. She seemed to be the perfect source for everything I wanted to know about Edward but she was also a known gossip, not that she had ever divulged any of my secrets.

'And what place would this be?'

'You know, that tree you always climbed on. He is always seen out there, rain or shine, after work is completed. He never seems to sleep, always up before any of us and out there when we're going to bed. Strange like that, Gaddie says that he is always quiet and keeps himself to himself. Complete opposite to his brother, mind you. Mr Emmett is quite loud, likes his food and his sleep. I never understood how he makes that much food disappear. His other brother is strange also. Doesn't socialize. Prefers to stay at home with his bride. I'm not sure why Mr Emmett does not stay with his bride, she should be thinking of starting a family soon.'

Ms Coote sat on my dressing chair as she spoke and I readied myself for a lengthy, but informative, conversation.

'How are his sister's? Are they married too?'

'His sister's? One is Emmett's bride and the other is Jasper's. Miss Rosalie and Miss Alice, I think. I do not care much for Miss Rosalie. Beautiful woman, but she can be extremely tenacious. Miss Alice is the talk of the village! Gets along with nearly everyone. Beautiful girl too, not as pretty as Miss Rosalie or Mrs Cullen, but she has a certain glow about her.'

I thought back to the dance and remembered the glow that Dr Cullen, Mrs Cullen, Emmett and Edward had about them. They were as different as they were similar. They all had the same skin tone but their hair colors differed dramatically.

'Look at the time! You should have been ready an hour ago! Get into the bathroom now!'

She pushed me into the room and closed the door behind me. The bath water was now lukewarm but I did not mind. I scrubbed myself quickly, using the woven rag instead of the brush in order to reduce the red rash that appeared when I rushed my bathing.

I stepped out of the bath and wrapped myself in my robe before opening the door. Ms Coote had her head poked out of the door, talking to someone in the hall.

'… yes I'll tell her when she's ready… I'm not too sure about that… haven't you heard?'

I cleared my throat and fought to control my expression as Ms Coote shut the door at lightning speed and rushed over to me. She pretended as if nothing had taken place. She pulled me around the screen and pulled off my robe. She proceeded to put on my undergarments as I spoke.

'What did the person wish to tell me?'

She pulled my dress over my head and tied it in silence. Today I wore a plain, cream colored dress that I preferred to wear indoors. It was warm and comfortable.

'Well?'

'Gaddie wanted to tell you that the library has a leak and that you father wishes for you to stay out of it for today until he can get in some help fix it.'

'Oh.'

I tried to keep my voice disappointed, I could not read or research Elizabeth Swan in the library today, but I could still look for Edward. Ms Coote smiled as she wiped my face with the damp wash cloth.

'Edward usually works in the out buildings until noon before working in the rooms on the ground floor. He has a break of one hour at two.'

I nearly kissed her for this information. I kept still before I made a response.

'I do not need to know where he is every hour of the day.'

'I know. If you want to seem inconspicuous, then hang around the main staircase at the first floor, he always goes by there at least three times a day.'

She walked over to the door and whispered over her shoulder as she went.

'Don't worry. Gaddie overheard him talking about you to his brother this morning.'

My face went scarlet once more as I darted out the door, towards the main staircase. I started down the long flights of stairs, glancing down to the floors below as I ran down. I reached the third floor and could see a copper head and a head of cropped brown hair go past two floors below me. I had to amuse myself somehow for the day if I was to stay indoors.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** I love reviews! I'm on my Easter holidays so I have two weeks of free time ahead of me (more Fan-Fics to be posted). I trying out Edward's POV now and I thought that it would be cool to try something different so I'm giving him a journal. I'll see how it turns out but I wanted to try out a new perspective. Share your thoughts so I know if this works!! Thanks again to everyone who reads and reviews this. Lets try and get 20 reviews before I put up the next one!!

**Disclaimer: **All praises for the characters should be posted to Stephenie Meyer. I only own Ms Coote, Margle, Gaddie and whoever I come up with next!!

_**January 18, 1806**_

_We are expecting the Master's daughter today. All of the maids are on duty upstairs and the daughter's personal maid is arriving with her. Gaddie is the half-sister of the personal maid and has told us all about Ms Swan. Apparently, she is a beautiful young girl who is also kind and quiet. Gaddie is known for her extravagant exaggeration so we are bracing ourselves for the arrival of a snobby brat. Most of the male servants are working either outside or downstairs in order to prepare for the dance._

_Emmett and myself have been ordered to break in the new mare for Ms Swan. The horse is one the most beautiful creatures I have ever seen in my life. It has the shiniest chocolate brown coat and is obviously of excellent breed. I stole a few minutes of riding time to test out it's strength. It glides as it trots, able to gracefully and quickly run around the back field. I will feel sorry for the poor thing if Ms Swan gives it a horrid mane like 'Butterscotch' but I think I will feel even more depressed if Ms Swan sells the horse. I will happily ask my father to buy it from Master Swan._

_**January 21, 1806**_

_I never thought that I would say this, but I have been attracted to a girl. I thought that the others were joking when they said Bella was kind and beautiful but they were right. She has exceeded all of their kind words. She surprises me in other ways. I cannot hear her like I can hear the others. I spoke to Emmett about this and he told me that he cannot break through her either. She acts strangely also, never doing the expected. I have to talk to Carlisle about this, maybe she is one of us or one of the tribe._

_She surprised me again. I should stop thinking of her in the way I am now. It could be dangerous for me to get too close to her. The last time we got too close to someone else, it ended up with us in the employment of Master Swan. We were lucky that he did not know too much about our crime._

_All of the servants were called down to the kitchens for night-time duties. Gaddie asked me to bring something up to Bella's room because Ms Coote was in the stables, attending to the new mare. I tried not to be too eager but Emmett saw right through me…_

I quickly put my journal into my pocket as Emmett approached me. We were on our way to carry the chairs and tables from the Great Room to the store rooms behind the stables. I read quickly through my journal to remind myself of the mare that we had broken in a few days ago My mind had wandered through my past entries about Bella. I had only known her for a day but I was infatuated by her presence. As I walked up from the kitchens, I kept glancing up to the floors above to see if she was coming down. Emmett hopped lightly behind me and noticed my forlorn looks to the floors above.

'You could just ask Steart to switch places with you today. You might have a better chance of seeing her if you were upstairs. Although, we could finish quickly and then you could go up to the library to see if she is there.'

Emmett had teased me all morning about Bella but he was now annoyed by my constant impatience to see her. We walked quickly to the Great Room and I checked to see if the way was clear for us to move through. There was no-one in our way so we completed the job in less time than it would have taken others. It was important for us not to show ourselves to other people while we used our speed.

As we walked downstairs to the kitchen, I could hear Emmett taunting me.

'…And here she comes Edward. Surprisingly enough you have not spotted her yet. I'll leave you two alone…'

He was out of sight by the time I turned my head. I looked up and spotted her coming downstairs. She was dressed in a plain white indoor dress but was still exceedingly beautiful. She smiled when she spotted me and quickened her pace down the steps. Her feet slipped under her dress and she flew headfirst towards the hard stone floor in front of me. I reached out quickly and grabbed her arms before she hit her head.

'Are you alright?'

I was anxious whether she was fine or not. Her laughter reassured me a small bit and she held onto me while she regained her balance.

'At least that is my attempt at death for the day completed.'

She pulled away from me and blushed. The color in her cheeks was lovely, most ladies do not blush as it is a sign of common upbringing and looseness. Bella, being from neither background, was blushing from embarrassment. I held out my arm and tried to form coherent sentences in my head. Se took my elbow and allowed me to lead her into the kitchen for lunch.

'I hear that you like to spend time in the library. Do you like to read?'

I was making painstakingly horrid attempts at conversation but it was all I could manage.

'Yes. It was the only thing I could… When I was in my mother's house, I did not have much to do, so I read.'

There was something behind her words that she did not explain. She started her sentence as if to explain what she was trying to hide, but she changed it towards the end. It seemed hard for her to let people in. From what I had gathered, Ms Coote had been her only friend through her childhood and adolescence. I felt sorry for her because of her lack of siblings and company. I had always been with my siblings and family since I joined Carlisle over six years ago.

'Sometimes, I like to read because I feel as if the books are my friends and the words are my comfort.'

I felt very close to her and my words surprised me. I had always felt this way but I had never told anyone about my passion for reading. I looked down at Bella and her face seemed to perk up a little.

'I feel that way too. It seems as if the books were written for only you. Ms Coote never understood my love for reading. She thought that I was purposely spending time in the library to stay away from people of my age. She never thought that it might have been because… because people of my age thought I was strange.'

Her voice was low at the end and the emotion behind it made me stop and look at her. She avoided my gaze and her face was flooded with sadness.

'Sorry. I should not have told you that.'

She smiled slightly but it did not reach her eyes. I reached out hesitantly to pull her face to meet my gaze.

'You should not feel sorry. The people who thought you were strange should feel sorry.'

She blushed once more and smiled again. This time her smile reached her eyes and they glowed like the moon we had stared at last night. I stared into her eyes for a long moment and she stared into mine. I argued with myself over my feelings. One part of me wanted to run away from her, ashamed of the thought of her finding out about my crime. The other, larger, part wanted to comfort her, to spend time with her and know her better.

I was still silently deciding which path to choose when Gaddie came storming out of the kitchen, dragging Emmett out by his ear. The sight of my brawny brother being dragged through the door by the tiny middle-aged woman was a sight to be seen.

'…You are never to come into the kitchen again if you eat that much. I have never seen Miss Daffy so upset over an eaten pig before…'

It was not until Gaddie stopped and stared at Bella and I that I realized I was still holding her face. I dropped my hand immediately as I felt the heat in her cheeks. Gaddie shook her head and proceeded to pull Emmett outside.

I turned back to Bella and caught her gaze once more. She was still blushing and her cheeks were still red. She glanced up towards the sound of approaching footsteps. I was looking up to the sound of someone descending the main staircase when Bella grabbed my hand. Her hand was warm and soft. She pulled me slightly towards the kitchen and looked back at me.

'If Ms Coote finds out that I have not eaten, then heads will be cut off.'

She smiled at me and if it was not for the fact that my breath was taken away by her touch, it would have been taken away by her smile.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** Ah! Some of you picked up on 'the tribe'. All will be revealed, eventually! For now, back to Bella and a day with Edward. Thanks for all of the reviews and thoughts!

**Disclaimer: **The only things in this story that I own are Gaddie, Ms Coote, Margle and Steart. Every other character belongs to Stephenie Meyer.

Bella's POV

I walked into the kitchen with Edward. The fact that I was holding his hand was making me giddy. The kitchen was large, with a low ceiling and sturdy wooden tables. Cooks and servants sat at one of the two main tables, having their breakfast. They did not give us a second glance. It was normal for me to come down here to have my meals. I hated sitting at the formal dining table with my father. On rare occasions, he came down here also.

Gaddie walked in after us and scurried over to the large stove on the far wall.

'Now Miss, would you like your usual meal or something different?'

She always fussed over me when I came down to the estate. She had reared two children single-handed and had not gotten over her motherly instincts.

'Just my usual Gaddie. Thank you.'

I sat down on the other side of the table to the servants. Edward sat beside me. I looked down the table and caught Ms Coote's eye. She smiled back at me and surveyed Edward. He was looking at me and smiling slightly, as if there was a secret joke being told.

'Here you are Miss.'

Gaddie placed my breakfast in front of me, complete with a fresh glass of juice and buttered bread. I only ate a small bit of it, wanting to finish quickly. I gulped the juice down quickly. When I was halfway through the glass, Emmett came bounding in. He looked at both Edward and I before bursting into fits of laughter. I became extremely self-conscious and took my concentration off my drink. The cold liquid went spilling onto my lap, staining the white material. The servants all sat up and passed me numerous rags and cloths to clean the mess up. Ms Coote came rushing over. She scalded me for not being more careful.

'… that was a new dress Miss. Now you may never be able to wear it again. You should have been more careful. Upstairs, now, so as I can try and fix this.'

She had begun to pull me towards the door when Margle stepped in. He took in the situation with a look of boredom before speaking.

'The Master would like all senior servants in the Great Room. All others must go about their duties as normal.'

Ms Coote was a senior servant and was now debating whether to go against my father's orders or not in order to clean me up. I decided for her.

'Ms Coote, you can go. I can dress myself.'

This was a clear lie but she was needed elsewhere. She threw me an exasperated look before following Margle up the servants stairs with the others. I stood in the kitchen waiting for everyone to leave. It surprised me that Edward had stayed behind. I gave him a puzzled look, curious to see why he was ignoring his job.

'We finished early. All the furniture has been moved.'

He answered my curiosity simply, but I could not help but wonder how they had managed to move that much furniture in that amount of time. I walked over to the servant's stairs, waiting to see if he would follow. He trailed behind me but still went with me. I took my time climbing up the steps, determined to not fall over and to spend more time with Edward. My mind was teeming with questions to ask him but I could not bring myself to ask them. I was speechless in his presence. We had reached the second floor when the silence was finally broken.

'… we should have retrieved this months ago! If someone else finds out-'

'No-one will find out unless you tell them…'

Edward grabbed my arm and pulled me into the alcove that I had hid in yesterday. The two men passed us without realizing our presence. They wore the uniforms of the local soldiers. They carried a large, leather trunk with them. I stared at the trunk. There was a carved emblem on the front, an exact replica of the one on my locket.

I continued to look at the trunk as it passed. It was not until Edward let go of my arm that I looked at him. We were extremely close in the alcove, I could feel his breath on my forehead. He was smiling down at me, angelically. It was not until I broke his gaze that I realized I had to move in order for him to move. I was blushing deeply as I steeped aside. I glanced up at Edward and noticed that his eyes were hard. They followed the sounds of the men's footsteps down the stairs. He turned towards me and smiled again. His smile seemed to scatter my thoughts.

'Shall we go and find you something to change into?'

I followed him intently up the stairs. As long as the day's tasks included the term 'we' in them, I would not complain if we worked in the rain all day.

We stepped out of the servant's stairs, onto the richly colored corridor that ran down the floor where most of my private rooms where located. I noticed that the library's door was ajar. Instead of going to my door, I walked over to the library.

I was intrigued to why the door was open, even though my father had not given me permission to enter. If I was not allowed to go into the library, then no-one else would have been allowed in. Edward followed behind me quietly, I sensed that he was, too, curious to see why the door was open.

My mind wandered back to the trunk, the shelves in the library were filled with books, but there were approximately sixty trunks on top of the shelves. Many resembled the trunk carried down by the soldiers. The trunk could have contained anything. That exact fact made me extremely curious to why it was removed. The emblem also made me aware of the trunks contents, it may have been a part of my family's history.

My hands automatically reached for my locket as I pushed the door open. I fingered the cool silver delicately, as if I could break it easily. The door swung open, revealing the library in all of it's glory. The walls were a deep, forest green, lined with dark, wooden shelves. Each shelf was lined with many books. On top of the shelves, there were many trunks of various sizes and colors. Some were stacked precariously on top of each other, others were scattered on the top of some of the further shelves. The library was many things, warm, broad, snug, but it was not damp. I had been kept out of it for some unknown reason.

Edward walked over to the large window at the far end of the room. He pushed an armchair over to a low shelf. It was not until he climbed onto the shelf that I realized he was looking for where the trunk had been taken. He walked along the shelf, hopping easily onto the higher shelves. He jumped lithely off the top of the highest shelf, onto the floor in front of me.

'It was not up there.'

He muttered to me quietly. I could not tell if he was talking to himself or to me. He walked back over to the armchair, pushing it over to the other side of the room. He gaged the distance between where he stood and the top of the shelves. It was too far for him to make if he stood on the chair but if he managed to get up there, he could easily walk along the long line of shelves, they were not at various heights like the other side. He glanced back at the distance between the armchair and the shelves before turning to me.

'If I lifted you up, could you walk along?'

He asked me in a polite manner. He did not want to force me into it but I knew he wanted to find out about the trunk as much as I did. I walked over to him. He stood on the armchair and pulled me up until my feet rested on the top of it's back.

'Are you ready?'

'Yes.'

He grabbed my waist and hoisted me up lightly. I grabbed onto the top of the shelf and pulled myself onto it. It required little effort on my part, Edward supported most of my weight easily. I stood up and steadied myself.

The shelves were cluttered with trunks and other objects that had been left here over the years. One trunk lay open, with various documents and papers scattered where it lay. I stepped carefully around the trunks, walking cautiously so as not to make footprints in the thick layer of dust. I continued down until I spotted a patch of wood in the dust. This was the spot where the trunk used to be.

'I found where the trunk lay!'

I knelt down beside the spot.

'Can you find any trunks similar to the one taken? Look at the ones near it. Open them and see what the contents are.'

I obeyed him obediently. I opened the two small trunks that lay to the right of the spot. They only contained small bonnets, for a child or baby. I opened the large trunk that was located on the far side of the spot. It contained documents such as guest lists from dances long ago.

I replaced the lid of the large trunk and looked over to the heap of clustered trunks against the wall. All of them were small, about the length of my arm from elbow to wrist. One of the hidden trunks caught my eye. It was the same color and texture as the one carried out earlier. I pulled it out and noticed the carved emblem in the leather. It was similar but not exactly the same as the one on my locket and on the other trunk. I picked it up regardless.

I stood up and turned around, heading back towards Edward.

'You found something?'

His voice was eager, as if this could help him greatly.

'I'm sure about it's contents but it looks similar to the other one.'

I knelt down on the shelf above where he stood. I passed him the trunk first. He placed it on the ground and reached up.

'You can jump, I can catch you.'

I was wary of the distance between where I sat and where his hands were. I took a deep breath before closing my eyes and pushing off the edge. His arms were hard but they caught me. I opened my eyes as he turned around and stepped off the armchair.

'Can you walk?'

I thought he was joking but his expression was concerned, as if I had hurt myself. I smiled as I looked at him.

'I think I could manage that.'

He smiled too and put me on my feet. I went over to the trunk and pulled it onto a low table in the corner. The trunk had a small keyhole and no matter how hard I tried, I could not open it. Edward watched my struggles from behind.

'May I try to open it?'

His voice was close and his proximity startled me. I turned my head slightly and noticed that his face was inches from mine. His eyes looked intently at the trunk before meeting mine. I forgot about the trunk completely, distracted by his beauty. He stared back at me, not bothering to remind me of his request. His eyes searched mine and I could feel the color rush to my cheeks. I lowered my gaze and heard him chuckle lightly.

'Yes…here.'

I pushed the trunk over to him without looking at him. I stared out the window. There was a thick fog descending on the estate. The gray smoke swirled outside, making the glass reflect the room. I stared back at myself. I could see the reflection of Edward beside me. He was fiddling with the lock silently. I occupied myself with the reflection of his hands, swiftly working the lock. When they stopped moving, I allowed myself to look at the reflection of his face. He was looking at me and smiling slightly. I turned around to face him and when I meet his gaze, every snide remark I knew of vanished from my mind. His smile grew and his eyes lit up.

'Not much to look at out there, is there?'

My breath caught in my throat and my mind was filled with nothing but the sight of his face, his copper hair, his golden eyes. We stared at each other for what seemed to be a never ending second. His hand reached out and found mine. I let my fingers grasp his cold grip. He smiled again when I gripped his hand. He lowered his eyes to our interlinked fingers.

'Did you recognize the men earlier?'

He kept his tone light and he began to play with fingers as he spoke. I tried desperately to form coherent sentences.

'No. I only recognized their uniforms.'

He raised his gaze back to mine.

'Do you know of the group?'

His breath blew across my face and it's scent enticed me further. Before I could control myself, I was leaning towards him. I nearly pulled back when his lips met mine. I kept telling myself that he was going to get up and never speak to me for being this out of order. It surprised me greatly when he kissed me back. My free hand reached up around his neck and pulled me closer to him. His free hand gripped my face, holding me to him.

We stayed like that until our breath came out as gasps. He pulled away, chuckling, and let go of my face. I dropped my arm from his neck and blushed harder than before. We sat silently as our breathing returned to normal.

Edward reached over and placed something in my lap, the now open trunk. It was lined with purple satin of good quality. There was a small box on the inside. I picked it up and examined it. It was made of a strong, polished metal and had a small, but strong, padlock attached to it. The top of the small box was engraved with an intricate design and their were two household emblems in the design. I recognized them as the tapestries that hung in the Great Room, the Swan crest and the Black crest. Edward was looking at the box with a large amount of interest.

'The two crests, they are the ones that are in the Great Room?'

He fingered the designs of the crests, tracing the lines precisely.

'Yes. The Swan crest and the Black crest.'

His face shot up when I mentioned the Black crest. His eyes went hard and he held out his free hand for the box. I handed it to him immediately. He tried to open the lock as he had done with the trunk. I looked down again, feeling intrusive with my eager eyes. I stared at the purple satin of the trunk, and what lay inside of it. The object was hidden by the box before hand, but now was visible for all to see.

**A/N:** I'm after realizing something, this is one long chapter! (Sorry if your eyes hurt from scrolling down through!). Also just in case you're wondering, Bella _did_ forget about her dress. I, did not. It was not something that I forgot about in my writing rampage.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:** Thank you all for the reviews! I decided to clear a few things up: 1) The Cullen's are still vampires, Emmett was playing with the pig (_don't ask, my friend made me delete the chapter with the account of the incident, I may have a copy somewhere if you want to read it)_ 2) I will never make Bella marry Jacob, unfortunately I am a Jacob-hater, he reminds me too much of a person I know (or knew if they keep annoying me), I will do my best to please you Jacob-lovers (I make no promises though!) 3) Reviews are reviews. They point me in the right direction and encourage me to try harder, keep them coming, even if you hate the story, tell me and I'll improve it.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters of Twilight, they belong to Mrs Meyer.

Bella's POV (I will try Edward's again soon, but if I wrote in his POV then I would give away too much of the storyline)

I stared at the item in the trunk. It stared back at me.

Edward was too busy examining the lock on the box to notice my frozen expression.

The item was of a painting.

A painting of my grandmother, and a woman of the same age.

The woman was the one in my locket.

The date was the exact same year as the date on the drawing in my locket. The date on the painting was approximately four years before my grandparent's marriage. That was not the only thing that surprised me. The artist was the exact one who had drawn the image in my locket. I tried to decipher the name but the signature was intricately printed so I could barely make out the initials of the artist.

The thing that haunted me the most was the background to the painting. The room was the Drawing Room in the West Wing of the estate. The West Wing had caught fire late in the 1600's and had not been re-opened until two years ago. It was still under completion and no-one was allowed to enter because of the stability of the structure.

My mind was filled with questions. Who was the artist of the two drawings? Why were they in the Drawing Room when it was still supposedly in ruin? And most importantly, who was Elizabeth Swan?

I stared at the painting for an immeasurable amount of time. It was not until Edward's hand touched my face that I broke away from the painting.

'Bella what is the matter?'

His face was filled with worry. I noticed the box lying open in his lap.

'You got it open.'

He smiled slightly and handed me the box. He stopped abruptly when he spotted the painting. His eyes seemed to fill with an emotion close to fear as he looked at the painting. As soon as the emotion entered his topaz eyes, it left. He was now a mask of complete calmness. He placed the box in my lap and motioned to the painting.

'May have a closer look? Sometimes artists leave notes in the frames.'

I nodded, distracted by the contents of the box.

In it was a small collection of jewelery and letters. I lifted out some of the letters first. Some were simple invitations to various dances and dinners. Others were of more interest.

_To: Miss Marie Swan  
__C/O: Harold Juspy, Practitioner of Law  
__Miss Swan, I recently reviewed your request and I have reason to believe that your predicament will grow as time progresses. Unfortunately, your sister had no right to take the document in relation to the ownership. Because of her recent disappearance, it will be unlikely that the document will ever be retrieved. If it falls into ill-fated hands, then we may have a war on our hands. I wish you luck in your searches.  
__Yours sincerely,  
__Harold Juspy_

_Marie,  
__I am safe for now. I know that you do not wish to hear from me but I have kept the document safe. I was brutally attacked on my way to deliver it. The attackers came from the east side of the area. Luckily, I was saved. The Cullen's-_

That was a far as I had read before Edward pulled me up. He grabbed the trunk and box and threw them on top of the shelf.

'What-'

He put a hand over my mouth before running over to where he had thrown the trunk. Suddenly we were sitting on top of the shelf. He had not even used the armchair to climb up. We just, mysteriously, _appeared_ up here.

I looked at him with annoyance. He could have given me some warning. He shook his head and inclined his chin towards the door. There was a silhouette of two men approaching from down the corridor. Their footsteps soon hit my ears. How Edward could have known they were coming was a very strange mystery. I decided to keep quiet for now.

'…yes. They came here earlier, no warning, and just took some trunk out with them.'

'Ah! But what was inside the trunk?'

The voices of Margle and my father drifted from the doorway. Edward pulled my further into the shadows. I could still see them entering the room.

'I have no idea, sir. Some of the trunks here have been in this room for well over a hundred years. Most are filled with odd objects, from clothing to dance invitations. We have had no reason to believe anything of importance was stored here. All of your mother's jewels are residing in the vault and your father's antiquities and other important items are either kept in the Room or are hanging in full view on the interior of the estate.'

My father nodded as Margle spoke but when he mentioned this 'Room', his head shot up and he glanced at the door. He began to pace along the length of the room.

'Yes, but my father was always one for being careful. He once hid the title deed to the estate in my crib! He preferred to keep important objects in places where no-one would think to look. I, myself, have hidden some objects in this way. And also, the Room is not going to be safe for much longer if you keep bringing it up.'

Margle bowed his head slightly.

'Should we search the other trunks then?'

I felt Edward tense beside me. I turned my head and noticed that he had his arms wrapped protectively around me, and that we were very close. I looked to my father and Margle before my heart could begin to beat out of control.

'No. Only God knows what is contained in those boxes! My mother used to put stamps and envelopes into some trunks. We could search for years and never find anything of importance. The only thing I wish of you to do is contact the Lord, ask him may we look at the trunk before he destroys it or whatever ghastly thing he wants to do with it.'

Margle nodded and stood aside for my father to pass. They exited the room swiftly, so as they would not be caught. I tried to loosen myself from Edward's grasp and gave up after a second knowing that I could not move his arms alone, and that I was unwilling to be parted from him.

He let his arms drop a minute after my father left. He got up and jumped down to the floor below, not making a single sound. His grace and agility startled me. He seemed too perfect for a human.

I crawled slowly over to the edge, praying he was still there. He stood there, his eyes hard, arms reached out as before. I did not hesitate to hop off the shelf. His arms caught me as before and I knew that I would have bruises along my side in the morning. His eyes were still as hard as his arms when he placed me on my feet. He turned away from me and strode over to the window.

'I would greatly appreciate of you did not mention what happened today to anyone, especially the last few minutes.'

His voice seemed detached, as if he was negotiating a business deal instead of talking personally to a friend.

'Why?'

My voice came out in a whisper. I had not noticed that my breath had been knocked out of me when I hit Edward's arms. I walked over beside him, hating to be away from him.

'We should not have been here. The Master told us not to come in here today. Also, you should have been changed hours ago.'

His face was softening but he still avoided looking at me. I gave up looking at him and stared out the window. The fog had become heavier and there was nothing to be seen apart from the slowly darkening sky.

'But I could say that I came in here on my own accord and you came in to tell me to get out. I do not care about the dress. I have plenty more in my closet.'

'They would still blame me for you coming in here.'

His face turned to stone. I was getting frustrated. He was lying about getting into trouble, my father would never punish a servant if I was the root of the problem.

'No they would not, Edward. This is not about being in here, is it? It is about how you managed to climb up the shelf without any aid.'

His eyes flashed anger and I could feel my knees buckling beneath me. I should not have been so bold as to point out something so sensitive and unrealistic. I made to take back my statement.

'Sorry. I should not have said that. I just, forgot, the armchair was there.'

He was shaking his head before I finished.

'No, Bella. You are too…perceptive. This is wrong.'

He turned to walk out. I grabbed his elbow desperately.

'What is wrong?'

I knew my strength was feeble, especially against him but he still turned to face me. His face was torn. I could see pain in his eyes.

'This is wrong. I should not have become close to you. It is…dangerous…selfish of me to become close to you.'

I kept hold of his arm.

'We have only known each other for a day. How can it be dangerous? How can you be selfish?'

He pulled his arm out of my grasp but did not leave the room. Instead he sat down in the armchair, his fingers pinching the bridge of his nose. I walked over and sat on the arm of the chair. I leaned against the back of the chair and repeated the questions.

'_How_ can it be dangerous? _How_ can _you_ be selfish?'

He let his hand drop from his face but kept his gaze lowered.

'Because of what I have done, what I _might_ do. It is not…safe for you to be near me if I am capable of such things.'

I reached out and grabbed his chin, forcing his gaze to meet mine. His eyes held deep frustration. They scared me slightly.

'What you have done is in the past. I believe that you have changed. I also believe that you are not capable of doing "such things".'

His eyes softened but they still seemed torn. My hand wandered to his cheek, stroking it with my thumb. He reached up with his hand and placed it on mine, keeping it there.

'Yes, but I could do many bad things that you will never understand.'

I sighed in frustration. I was always stubborn, but to meet someone as stubborn as I annoyed me slightly.

'Many men can go outside and easily kill another. Many men could go out and rob a store. Many men could go out and start a war. But many men restrain themselves from stabbing each other, or breaking windows, or terrorizing children. I think that you can restrain yourself.'

I stared into his golden eyes, trying to determine whether he had changed his mind. When he stood up, my heart fell. He broke away from me so easily, without a warning. I slid into the armchair, defeated in my task.

It surprised me when I did not hit the seat of the chair, instead I was standing. I glanced around and spotted Edward. He was smiling again. My heart picked up speed and his smile grew more pronounced. I slipped my hand into his and let him lead me out of the room. We were halfway out the door when I realized something.

'Where is the trunk?'

Edward smirked and held out his other hand. In it was the trunk. I attempted to overlook how he had gotten it from the top of the shelf.

'I will explain, but not now. I have to find out how to explain it without scaring you.'

He held my gaze as he spoke. His promise made me happy, at least I had more reason to see him again in the near future. He smiled back at me and my knees went weak. I remembered that I had not fallen over yet. Maybe Edward was a good luck charm.

We reached my door in less time that I had wished. I opened it and pulled Edward in. I was not going to be separated from him unless it was absolutely necessary. He smiled again at my eagerness. I looked around and spotted the jug and wash cloth on my dresser, the maid had already been in. It must have been later than I had thought.

I walked over to my closet. I was in no way ready to change for bed. I pulled out another dress, similar to the one I was wearing. It suddenly dawned on me that I could not dress myself single-handed. I could not call for Ms Coote. She would give out to me for not dressing for bed at this time. I was too embarrassed to ask Edward. I decided to try myself.

I went into the bathroom, leaving Edward looking out the window as like last night. I took a deep breath and began my task. The dress was easier to remove than last night's one. I pulled on the other dress. I managed to pull my arms through and pull the ties at the back tight enough to stop it from falling off. I could not tie the ties and going out with them undone would lead to the dress slipping. I looked around desperately for something to pin the ties in place. After a minute of frantic searching there was a knock at the door.

'Bella, are you alright?'

Edward seemed concerned, but amused.

'…I…I am having a little trouble with the dress.'

I mumbled the words, embarrassed. I gave up searching and slumped against the wall, waiting for him to either run off or call Ms Coote.

'Have you gotten it on?'

I perked up a little. He was always full of surprises.

'Yes…why?'

'If you come to the door, I might be able to reach around and tie them without looking.'

I opened the door. His hands appeared from the other side. I ignored them and walked out. He seemed a little uncomfortable with the sight of the back of my dress hanging off oddly. He swiftly tied the back in place.

'Thank you.'

He nodded slightly and smiled.

'So what do you wish to do at this late hour? Most of the estate are in bed.'

I had a million things that we could do running through my mind, some I would not utter out loud.

'I do not mind. Do you have anything in mind?'

One corner of his mouth pulled up slightly. His crooked smile took my breath away as effectively as Emmett when he ran into me.

'I might have a few things.'


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:** You guys are really good! I love you so much right now for your support and reviews. I think that I might let Bella have her say again in this chapter. I still haven't forgot to explain about the 'tribe', or the Black and Swan crests (Bella is not going to marry Jacob! It will be a great achievement if I keep Jacob as a good guy in this story, I'll try!). I have to say one thing before I start: you guys will never guess the plot or what is going to come next in this story (I don't even know what will come next. I just post up the chapters as I finish them and then realize 'Oh crap! Now I have to include that!')

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters imagined and created by Stephenie Meyer.

Bella's POV

His beauty and grace never ceased to amaze me. I had now concluded that Edward was something more. He was too good to be true, I could find no flaw.

As we walked down the servant's stairs, hand in hand, I was constantly aware of his touch and presence. I had given up any resistance against spending time with him, I was dreading being parted from him. Every time he caught my eye, I smiled and blushed. I had been blushing more often now since I had met him. I tried not to but this only caused me to turn redder.

We never encountered anyone on our way down, which was surprising considering the time. Usually the servants were everywhere at this time, finishing up their tasks before turning to bed. I had a feeling that Edward could sense whether anyone was approaching, he had already proven superhuman hearing in the library.

I had no idea where we were going, but I did not care. We turned on the second floor, into the main part of the building, still in the servant's area. Edward lead me across the bare stone corridor, down to another staircase that I had never been in before.

The estate house was large, but I had been into nearly every room, I had spent many hours of my childhood sneaking around the estate when I should have been in the library or asleep. I had explored the large basement area, the unused wine cellars, the vast attics in each wing except the East Wing. I had known the building quite well by my second summer here and at this very point, I had thought that I had been in nearly every corner of it.

I tried to determine where we were as we walked up the unknown staircase. It was dark and smelled slightly damp, almost as if no-one had used it in years. We continued up four flights of stairs before coming to a large wooden door. It seemed to be one of those used in the back buildings. They had been built for a purpose, to keep the buildings secure. It would be hard to open one alone, impossible if they were bolted.

Edward, unsurprisingly, opened the door easily. He lead me into the door, smiling when he noticed my curious expression.

'It used to be used as an infirmary. Carlisle brought me here, before, when he came to collect some of the antique tools used in the early days of the estate.'

I walked into the room, taking in the surroundings. It would have been a grand room when it was used. There was a large wall of windows looking onto the sprawling gardens, well, now the view would be of the fog slowly evaporating off the grounds. The room was large and open, all of the beds and closets had been pushed against the far wall. The floor was dusty, it was clear that no-one had been in here in well over five years. I noticed that there was a door behind the furniture pushed against the far wall.

'The view here is the only reason I ever come up here. On rainy days, it is as good as the trees.'

I turned to look at Edward. He was staring out the windows, his mind seemed elsewhere. I slowly walked over beside him, looking out into the fog that was lifting.

'You seem to know the estate well. How long have you been here?'

I glanced over to him and his gaze caught mine. He smiled slightly, as if enjoying a private joke, and replied.

'I have known the estate for many years but I have been working here exactly four months this Sunday.'

I nodded while he spoke, still hypnotized by his eyes. My mind seemed to erase itself as I tried to desperately to cling sentences together. I dropped my gaze unwillingly and tried to steady myself. I scalded myself for not being as composed as a young woman should be. I fiddled nervously with my dress as I spoke again.

'Which do you think you know better, the grounds or the building?'

I looked back up at him, ready to be knocked breathless by his beauty. His eyes sparkled as they met mine.

'I would have to say that I know each of them well but I prefer the grounds to the building.'

I smiled and was prattling on before I could stop myself.

'I prefer the grounds too. I always feel as if I uncover something new each time I go outside. I still haven't been out to the west side of the gardens yet.'

I frowned and stopped myself from saying anything else. I felt comfortable on his presence, as if I could tell him anything, and yet, I felt uncomfortable, as if he was too good to be with me. He eyes went playful as he took my hand. I blushed at his touch.

'You have never been to the west side of the gardens? So you have never seen the lake then?'

I could feel my face lighting up. I had never known about a lake. I was quickly disappointed when I remembered the last time I went to a lake. I was determined not to relive that moment, especially with Edward. He squeezed my hand gently.

'I could bring you there sometime. The weather is meant to be dry for the next few weeks.'

I was secretly glad that he wanted to see me again. I had to remind myself to inhale and exhale as I looked at the topaz eyes that bore into me. I was about to ask whether we could go tonight, when I began to yawn. I did not mean to, I was not in any way tired, I was the opposite. Edward mistook the yawn and frowned in concern.

'We should bring you back. You're tired and it is late.'

I shook my head quickly.

'I'm not tired. I will not be able to sleep if I went to bed now.'

I would not be able to sleep for two reasons, but I would never admit the second out loud. Edward seemed unconvinced.

'You should be in bed. If someone catches us then we will be in trouble.'

I was annoyed at him for starting this conversation again.

'What I said to you earlier applies in this situation as well.'

I tried to keep my voice firm, a mean feat when he was standing there, _dazzling_ me like that. He grinned smugly and I realized that my words could have been taken in two ways. I felt the color creeping back into my cheeks. I caught Edward staring at me, as if I was something extraordinarily interesting.

'What are you staring at?'

He jumped slightly and muttered as he dropped his gaze.

'Nothing…nothing.'

A bell tolled in the far distance. It was two in the morning. I nearly had a panic attack. Ms Coote would be checking on me soon. Edward noticed my sudden intake of breath and became anxious. His hand reached up to my face, stroking it gently.

'Bella? What is the matter?'

'Ms Coote should be checking up on me soon and-'

He cut me off as he scooped me off the ground. My face was hidden in his chest but I could tell that he was running, and running very fast judging by the wind rushing past us. I was not very good at handling speed, so I kept my face hidden, contently inhaling the scent of him. I locked my arms around his neck, mainly to pull myself closer him rather than for security.

I could tell that we were ascending a staircase by the tilt in Edward's stance. I buried my face deeper to resist any urge of looking at our surroundings.

Before I knew it, we were standing in my room. Edward had stopped moving. I lifted my head up and stopped when I met his gaze. He held my gaze for a minute before smiling.

'You should go and get ready. Ms Coote will be here in an hour.'

I frowned and waited to be dropped onto the floor. I was surprised when I was still in his arms a minute later. I looked at him curiously and he gestured to my arms. They were still around his neck but I knew that he could break my hold easily. I let them drop. I was clearly annoyed by the fact that I had to let go of him. He smiled slightly and placed me on my feet.

'What is annoying you?'

He spoke softly as I opened my closet to get my nightdress.

'The fact that you have to leave me for the night.'

I clapped my hand over my mouth. I had never meant for my thoughts to come out of my mouth. I froze and flushed crimson. I grabbed my nightdress and turned meekly to see if he was still there. I kept my gaze on the floor as I walked over to the bathroom. As I turned the knob, I felt his hand on my arm.

'If you want me to stay then I will.'

His voice was soft as before, but now had a more serious tone to it. I looked up and him.

'Would you?'

I had not realized how pleading my words were. He nodded and smiled again. I smiled to and continued into the bathroom. I washed and dressed as quickly as I could, without any help. When I walked back out, Edward was still standing in my room, staring out the window again. He noticed that I was ready and smiled.

'Ms Coote will be here in five minutes. I should hide when she comes.'

I took his hand and frowned. I did not like the idea of him being out of my sight again. He sighed slightly.

'Bella, you should be in bed. At least pretend to be asleep when Ms Coote comes in, please?'

The force of his eyes made my will crumble to dust. I allowed him to walk me over to my bed. I climbed in and pulled the covers over me. I sat up as he walked over to my closet. He simply put his finger to his lips and motioned for me to lie down. I had to admit that I was extremely jealous of that finger.

The door opened slowly and I could hear the heavy breathing of my maid drift from the door. She was muttering incoherently to herself as she walked into the room. I could hear her walk into the bathroom, gather up my clothes and walk back out the door, closing it noisily behind her. I waited a few seconds before opening my eyes. I rolled over to get out of the bed when I was stopped by something.

'Sorry.'

Edward was lying beside me, his face mere inches from mine. I lay silently as my heart restarted and picked up rhythm again. He stared into my eyes, smiling at me. I closed my eyes, trying to calm my breathing, but I suddenly realized that my arms were snaking around his neck. I opened my eyes and was about to pull myself away when his arms encircled my waist and pulled me closer to him. I locked my arms tighter around his neck and rested my cheek on his chest. I yawned again, out of exhaustion now, and Edward chuckled slightly.

'You should really go to sleep.'

He stroked my hair and I could feel myself giving in to my heavy eyelids. I tried my hardest to stay awake but everything about Edward seemed to soothe me. His scent, his touch, his presence. I knew I only had a few moments of consciousness left, so I buried my face deeper into his chest mumbling quietly against his shirt.

'I love you.'


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N:** I am really sorry for not putting this up sooner (I won't give you excuses, it was a technical problem involving my laptop and no battery). To repeat myself again: Bella is **not **going to marry Jacob. It will be a great accomplishment if he stays in my good books for the entire story. I'm doing this chapter in Edward's POV (cue 'yay!'s and 'finally's). As always: read and review!

**Disclaimer:** None of the characters in Twilight belong to me. I own the ones that randomly pop up in my head.

Edward's POV

_**January 22, 1806**_

_I can't seem to stay away from Bella. At this very moment, I am standing in her closet, waiting for Ms Coote to leave so as I can go back to her._

_I have no idea of what has come over me. She seems intoxicating, as if every second I spend with her attracts me more to her. I shudder to think how my family will take this. Carlisle might understand but Rosalie never will._

_I need to speak to Carlisle soon. I seem to be going crazy here. I have to be with her, to make sure she is safe, to see her. I have now become addicted to her presence as a drunk becomes addicted to ale. I have never been so dependant on being with someone before._

_This is the most unusual feeling that I have ever experienced. It seems both frightening and exhilarating. It is too unreal to call it love. It is too strong to compare to the description of love in books and plays. The only inkling that I have to compare it to is the connection between my siblings and parents. Even that seems weak in comparison._

_I have only been away from her for a few minutes but I need to get out of here, I need to see her…_

I stopped writing as I heard the sounds of Ms Coote's footsteps approach the door. She had been muttering to herself for over five minutes, bustling about the room. She seemed to have checked every inch of the room, from testing the water in the bathroom, to tucking Bella's covers tighter around her. It was a miracle that Bella did not wake up on other nights with the volume of Ms Coote's mumbling and walking. 'Quiet' did not seem to appear in her dictionary, but 'gossip' did. I had spent many hours listening to stories about her large mouth and her inability to keep secrets. This may have come in handy if it was not for the fact that she was quiet about Bella's feelings and secrets.

As soon as it swung shut, I was out of the closet. I could see Bella's lying form, she was not asleep yet. I went over to lie beside her. She lay still for a minute before turning around. Her heartbeat picked up when she spotted me beside her.

'Sorry.'

I kept my voice quiet. Her arms found mine and she reached up to my neck. I encircled her waist, pulling her closer to me. Her heart continued to beat out of pace. Her scent was delicious, floral and mouth-watering. Her body was soft and extremely warm. She buried her head in my chest. I placed my chin on top of her head.

'I love you.'

I froze when she muttered those words. I lifted my head up to look at her. She was not yet asleep but was nearly there. I did not know how to react. Part of me was screaming to let go of her, to never see her again, to stop leading her into something that was not right. Another part of me was encouraging me to accept those words, to repeat them to her and hear them repeated again from her mouth.

I lay still for the night, debating how I should proceed. It seemed that as I made my decision, I was swayed by the sight of Bella. When I decided to leave, I looked down at her face and questioned my judgement. When I decided to stay, I looked down at her fragile body and thought over my decision again. I could not choose. It was either leave and keep her safe, or, stay and put her in danger. Judging on her previous clumsiness, my abilities may be needed.

I continued debating as she awoke. Her face stirred and her arms stretched, accidentally hitting the back of my head. Her eyes flew open and her heart stopped, picking up speed again. She smiled shyly at me.

'Good morning.'

She blushed as I spoke, pulling herself against me regardless.

'So last night was not a dream.'

She mused quietly as I stroked her hair softly. My decision had been made. I disentangled myself from her and walked over to the door.

I walked down the empty corridor quickly, reaching the servant's stairs sooner than I thought. They were teeming with everyone preparing for the day ahead. We were expecting more visitors. The Lord and Lady were to attend a dinner and then the men and women would go for a hour of horse riding. I passed unnoticed down the stairs, squeezing past many of the others as I went down to the kitchen.

I opened the door to the kitchen slowly, searching for my brother. The kitchen was full with many people having a late breakfast or preparing for the dinner. Emmett sat with his back to me, picking apart a large piece of bread and some cold meats. He had an opened letter at his elbow, judging by the writing it was from Rosalie. She never wrote to Emmett, knowing that he would visit every month or so.

'…_why does she have to send me the letter now? Why can't she wait until I come home in order to speak to me…_'

I strode over to his table, unnoticed by the many cooks and maids scurrying about the cramped space. I tapped him on the shoulders and walked out to the courtyard. I paced back and forth, waiting for my brother to get up and come out to speak to me. I had to ask him to do one thing for me, one thing that I would not be able to do with our mother in the same room.

'What are you so worked up about?'

He was leaning against the door frame casually. I turned and stared at him. His eyes flashed many different emotions as I explained my decision. I was surprised that he could manage so many emotions without exploding. He nodded, agreeing to tell Carlisle my decision. He needed to see if Carlisle could persuade Master Swan to change my contract, it would not be easy but it was necessary.

He did not press me for more details, knowing that this was hard for me to do. He smiled sympathetically at me before speaking again.

'We have to work on the third floor of the West Wing today. I have to move furniture and you have to arrange the library into, as Gaddie called it, 'a more organised state of affairs'. Apparently you have more of a brain than I do so you get an easier task.'

He babbled on as I froze. We would be working in Bella's private area. It would be very easy to change my mind if something were to happen today. I should stay away, letting my decision become permanent in my mind. It would be better that way, easier to resist changing my mind, to resist hurting Bella.

I nodded, distracted by my thoughts, and left the courtyard slowly. I did not want to make Emmett curious so I kept my pace to match a sloth. We walked up the stairs, letting every other person pass us on their way to their various posts in the estate. It took us fifteen minutes to reach the third floor. Another five to walk over to the corridor where we were meant to work.

As we passed Bella's room, I could hear Ms Coote.

'Miss, you have to get ready. You father wants you to ride with him today. Now do you want the blue or red dress?'

I paused to wait for Bella's voice, knowing that it would cause me either deep pain or great thrills. I heard nothing but silence as I opened the library door. I closed it swiftly behind me. I had approximately ten minutes to complete my task without risking seeing Bella. I set to work immediately.

I took out every book, placing them on the floor, and began to alphabetise them. I was halfway through when I could hear the bath draining in the next room. I had five more minutes. I hurried through quickly, nearly throwing the books onto the shelves. When I had reached the last hundred, Bella's door opened. I heard Ms Coote bringing her over to the main staircase, passing the library door. I held my breath until I was certain that they had passed. I continued on with my task.

When I had finished with the books, I went over to open the window. It was stuffy in the room and the dust in the air would cause anyone to cough madly. I pushed the glass out, fixing the chain onto the hook in the stone on the wall. I gazed out, admiring the dry, cloudy, weather. It was warm today, perfect for a walk. I had plenty of time before lunch to explore the grounds.

I turned to recheck my work. I scanned the rows of books quickly, satisfied with my work. The breeze in the room was pleasant. I was turning to walk over to the door when I froze. The breeze carried a scent with it. I was not alone in the room. I faced the armchair in front of me, a pair of chocolate brown eyes meeting my gold ones. Bella sat stiffly, her eyes were uncertain, cautious. She shifted slightly in the chair, tucking her formal blood-red dress around her legs as she moved. Her locket swayed around her neck, glinting in the light. Her face was curious and slightly hurt. It took most of my will power not to walk over to her.

'Why did you leave this morning so abruptly?'

My mind pieced together hundreds of perfectly acceptable excuses, but the truth seemed to spill out of my mouth.

'I had to go to my brother. To tell him that I will not be returning home this month. To tell him that I need to ask your father to…'

Her face made me stop. She looked devastated. I had to explain to her my decision now before I caused her more pain.

**A/N:** Sorry it's a short chapter. The only reason it's short is so I can make the next one longer.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: **(begins evil laugh) MWAHAHAHA!!(coughs violently). Sorry guys, but the cliff-hanger from the last chapter was one of my better ideas. Basically what I am trying to say is… actually I'll let you read on, figure it out for yourself and eventually throw rotten tomatoes at the screen. Anyway here is the story from Bella's POV. To the good people who review, E-COOKIES TO ALL!!

**Disclaimer:** Look back to other chapters if you have not got the drift already

Bella's POV

As I sat in the armchair, listening to Edward splutter out sentences, I could not help but wonder: Is he the person I knew yesterday or the person who ran away this morning?

He had left abruptly, leaving me to face Ms Coote, and the day, by myself. I felt wretched at the words I had said last night. Why did I have to reveal my emotions for the first time last night? Usually I would have shied away from any sudden declarations of feelings or thoughts, I barely even communicated with my mother each day over the last seventeen years.

I listened intently to his words, becoming desperate for a clear, coherent answer. The sun was hidden, as always, behind a thick covering of cloud. The light coming from the window shone on Edward's pale skin, making him seem more brighter today. The swirling dust particles around the room danced and swayed as he moved his arms. I was transfixed by him.

After pulling my eyes away, I shifted slightly in the chair. I tucked my skirt around my legs and spoke again.

'Are you leaving immediately or staying for a few days?'

When silence greeted my ears, I risked a quick glance at his face. His golden eyes sparkled with confusion, making his angel's face seem more innocent. He regained composure swiftly and took a step towards the chair.

'Leaving? I am not leaving.'

I could feel our expressions switch, mine turning into confusion and his turning to curiosity.

'But… you left this morning… and before you said you were changing your employment.'

I could not form sentences as I spotted the flash of understanding flicker through his face. He smiled his breathtaking smile and stepped closer to me. His hand reached out to the arm of the chair and took mine easily.

'Bella, I'm not leaving. I asked my brother to speak to my father about changing my employment here so that I can stay on. I do not want to leave you.'

He whispered the last sentence. I nodded slowly, desperate to restrain myself from throwing myself at him. I was quickly losing willpower and his smile weakened my self-control. I jumped out of the seat and made to step closer to him. I had forgotten about my skirts and instead of seeing Edward's face, I was facing the floor.

I had only tilted downwards an inch when strong hands gripped my arms. A low chuckle slipped out of Edward's usually composed mouth. I allowed myself one look at his face before I would break away and turn around.

His eyes were warmer, softer than I had every seen before. His face seemed happier, as if a large burden had been lifted. I was staring into the depths of his liquid eyes when my words came flooding back to me. My face flushed as I recalled what I had murmured last night. Unfortunately, nothing escaped his gaze.

'Bella, what's wrong?'

One of his hands slid down my arm to hold my hand tightly in it's grip. The other travelled up my shoulders to my chin. He gently pulled my face up to meet his gaze. I silently cursed the intense heat radiating from my cheeks. I did not answer him. He sighed and asked again.

'Bella?'

His voice was sterner now, but was still irresistible. I could feel my resistance being ripped to shreds by the power in his eyes.

'It… what I said last night… sorry.'

I ducked my head again, expecting him to pull away. I braced myself for the crippling agony of rejection. Instead, he laughed, pulling me closer to him.

'Bella… you should not be embarrassed! I love you too… you just got to the post quicker than I did.'

I felt his chest shake with his laughter. I snaked my arms around his neck, allowing me to be closer to him.

After a few moments, I pulled away. I was determined to do something again. I looked into his eyes, seeing another intensity burn as he realised what I was trying to do. He leaned down, lowering his face to my level. I could feel his breath against my lips, he was deliberately prolonging the moment. I closed my eyes as his cold lips touched my warm ones.

The kiss started slow, both of us inexperienced and shy. It soon became deeper. I crushed myself against his chest, relishing the cool feel of it. His hands at my back kept a firm grip, locking me against his body. I opened my mouth more, letting my tongue travel to his lips. The tip of my tongue traced the shape of his bottom lip. It was cold and hard, like the rest of his body, but had a delicious taste, exactly like the scent of his chest only intensified.

We stayed like this until my breathing became fast and I was gasping for air. Edward pulled away, smiling shyly as he loosened his hold on me. (**A/N: That was for hkcjphillips who wanted more kissing)**

'Sorry.'

His cool breath blew across my now fire red face, a welcome change from the heat rolling upwards from my cheeks. I did not bother to respond, my breathing was nowhere near regular and his proximity did not help matters. I stayed in his arms, staring at everything except his eyes, until my breathing was under control.

I met his gaze and we both started to laugh quietly. I was crimson, breathless, and profoundly confused by the fact that_ I_ was being chosen by _him_. He was composed, angelic, a god in comparison to the sight of me. The sight of us together must have been a drastic clash.

Edward's eyes flashed towards the door. He smirked and dropped his hands from holding me. I followed suit, slightly annoyed by the fact that I was not touching him.

Within two seconds, his brother came bounding in the door. He stopped dead, taking in the sight of us, and glanced between us. As his face revealed comprehension, he let out a booming laugh. My face was continuously becoming redder and his amusement only made me more embarrassed.

'Emmett.'

Edward's voice was low and menacing. It caused his brother to laugh harder. A snarl ripped from Edward's chest as he turned to face Emmett.

'Sorry… give me a minute… Gaddie wanted me to… you…'

By this point, Emmett had sat on the ground, his head held in his hands. He took deep breaths, attempting to calm down. When he finally stopped chuckling, he stood up. His movement was startling, quick and graceful. Edward shot a warning glance to him and looked swiftly at me.

'Sorry, for…_interrupting_…you. Gaddie wanted someone to help Ms Swan with her horse today. Ms Coote and I submitted your name for the consideration of the task. You are to help with everything she requires.'

He shot more looks at Edward. I let the information sink in.

The dinner for the Lord and Lady included an afternoon ride. I was hopeless at most sporting activities. I would require help with this task. It dawned on me that Edward had to help with everything that I required. I mentally reminded myself to thank Ms Coote later, she and Emmett had secured me a whole day with Edward.

As Emmett left, I looked back to Edward. He smiled as I caught his eye. It took my breath away as usual, but did not reach as far as his last ones had. He seemed distracted by something and walked over to look out the window. I followed him, not bothering to admire the sight of the gardens when I had such perfection standing beside me.

I looked at his face, noticing how his jaw seemed tighter. His eyes quickly scanned the gardens before following some of the servants absently. My eyes traced his features, noting how his jaw created a small hollow beneath his ear, how his lashes seemed to be perfectly thick and curled, how his hair was casually tousled. I also noted that I could form speech when his eyes were not burning into mine.

'What are you thinking about?'

His eyes focused more as he snapped out of his train of thought. His lips pulled up slightly, as if I had told some sort of joke. He ran his hand through his hair, making it messier than before. I shook my head hard when I became jealous of his hand, I was becoming jealous of everything that touched him.

'Well, I was thinking of the trunk that was taken earlier…and then I was thinking about…four months ago.'

He was reluctant to tell me what he was thinking, but he answered me honestly. I nodded slowly, not understanding any of his words but refusing to push him further. He smiled more and looked into my eyes.

'You have no idea about what I am speaking of, I'm sorry. You see the trunk and the…incident…are related. I need to see the contents of that trunk.'

I continued to nod. He sighed in frustration and walked over to sit in the armchair. I dropped my gaze and flushed. Why did I have to annoy him so?

'I'm sorry, I did not mean to annoy you.'

His laugh pulled me out of my wallowing. I looked over to him and took in his amused face. I walked over to him, curious to see the reason for his surprising changes in mood. His eyes fixed on something in my expression that even I did not know was present. His face grew more serious and he took my hand as I stopped beside the chair.

'I think…I know…that I have to tell you now.'

His voice was no longer playful. His eyes were hard but not in a way that scared or hurt me. He pulled on my hand, making me walk around the chair until I was in front of him. He gripped my waist and pulled me onto his lap. My swift intake of breath was definitely noted by him and he seemed to realise my heartbeat quicken.

'Bella, I think that you have noticed that I am not exactly…normal.'

'I'm not 'exactly normal' either.'

One corner of his mouth pulled up.

'What I mean is I'm not…human.'

'I already pieced together that much.'

His faced was now amused. His eyes forced me to explain myself.

'For example, you have unnatural speed and strength. You are capable of jumping on top of the shelf, carrying me, without aid. You can run at great speed. You have more grace than any ballet dancer I have seen. You seem…aware…of the thoughts of people around you. You do not sleep. And…you are unbelievably beautiful.'

He smiled as I progressed through my checklist. As I came to the last item, he frowned.

'How can I be 'unbelievably beautiful' when I am in the same room as you?'

My blush seemed to have permanently flooded my cheeks. I grew warmer and I muttered something that even I considered incoherent. Edward seemed endlessly patient and sat quietly, playing with my fingers, until my face returned to it's normal pale complexion.

'I think that you have mentioned nearly every characteristic of my being, except for the main one. Do you have any theories about what I am?'

I bit my tongue as all of my childhood fairy tales and stories came flooding back. Edward picked up on every change in my expression and he pressed me.

'Can't I hear just one?'

I shook my head, afraid to speak for fear of embarrassing myself further.

'I…I'll tell you the one part of me that you failed to mention.'

He dropped his arms from around me and his gaze was fixed on the ceiling. I watched his face carefully as he prepared to speak.

'I have a remarkable thirst for blood. I need blood to survive. Animal blood suffices for my family's lifestyle but human blood is more appealing.'

He did not meet my gaze but understood that I was not running off screaming.

'You understand what I am now?'

I nodded, not shaken by what he had told me. Instead I felt relieved, finally understanding why he could do what he had done.

'You're a vampire.'

His head snapped down to meet my gaze.

'You're not afraid? You're not repulsed by what I am?'

He spoke in a way that was both curious and accusing. I shook my head.

'No.'

'You seem to be missing the most important question.'

His head was now tilted to one side, he spoke bitterly but his eyes held a deep glint of relief.

'Which is…?'

He pulled a dark smile, his eyes black.

'Do I thirst for your blood?'

I swallowed and thought back to what he had said yesterday.

'I think…that you do thirst for my blood…but you could control it…you want to control it.'

He dropped his head again.

'I do not deserve you. You understand me better than some of my siblings.'

I smiled slightly and touched his face lightly.

'You are harder to understand than most people. I just pieced together what I noted before.'

He met my gaze again and smiled mischievously.

'And you are the hardest person to understand that I have met so far.'

His tone was now mocking but I remembered my checklist from before.

'You are not…aware of my thoughts?'

'I cannot read your mind.'

My eyes widened.

'You can read minds?!'

I was more intrigued than anything. This ability of his could come in handy. He simply smiled in response.

'Can you read any mind? How does it-'

He stopped my rant by placing his cool hand to my mouth.

'We only have so long before you have to go outside. If you want to know about…the incident…then you had better stay quiet.'

I nodded furiously and he began.

**A/N: Well at least now Bella knows that Edward is a vampire, now, should I introduce the Blacks at the dinner or should I reveal the story about the crests before? Review and decide, it's up to you!**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: **I am so sorry for not updating sooner. School has been hard considering the exams in June. This chapter and the next are from Bella's POV so as I can explain both the crests and the 'incident'. I really appreciated your advice on which to do first! Thank you, thank you, thank you to all of the wonderful people who review. Special thanks go out to: **Horsefreak01**, **hkcjphillips,** **usaprincess242,** **bloodredeclipse** and **GinnyBrown is here and now** who have given multiple reviews and support!!

**Disclaimer:** Legal disclaimers have been posted on the past 9 chapters…look back if you don't believe me

Bella's POV

I nodded eagerly, sitting as quietly as I possibly could. I did not feel any hatred or fear for Edward's previous explanation. He was who he was, nothing could improve or subtract his beauty in my eyes.

He seemed relieved, happy almost, that I understood what he was. He took a few deep breaths before beginning his story.

'To understand the incident, I have to tell you our story from when we came here in the beginning…We arrived here first in the early 1700's.'

He ignored my gasp and continued, still wary of my every flicker of emotion.

'By that time, our family consisted of Carlisle, Esme, Rosalie, Emmett and I. It was not for another thirty years that Alice and Jasper came into our lives. We came here in 1704 and set up a home. Carlisle worked as the area's doctor while Esme and Rosalie acted as inconspicuous as they possibly could, keeping up appearances at balls and dinners. Emmett and I were fairly new to our…forms and we spent most days hunting and travelling in the area.'

I had understood everything he had said so far. He noted my expression after every word he spoke, tightening his grip around my body if he thought that I was beginning to become uncomfortable.

'By 1710, we knew everybody, every house, every piece of land in the area. Your grandmother was a good friend of Carlisle's and Esme's. I can recall attending many events in this house as a guest.'

I could feel the tension rising in his posture, he was coming to a part that he was unwilling to tell.

'I had gotten to understand a good deal of Carlisle's work and on some occasions, he would ask of my assistance. Many of those occasions involved coming here to assist a member of your family…A member that you clearly do not know very much about.'

He reached up and took of my locket, opening it swiftly to expose the picture on the inside.

'Elizabeth Swan, your grandmother's only sister.'

I felt my eyes widen. No-one had ever mentioned that my grandmother had any other siblings. I was under the pretences that she was an only child.

Edward kept his eyes locked on my face, waiting patiently for my response. I motioned for him to proceed, not willing to talk for fear of my voice betraying me.

'Your great-grandparents did not…understand Elizabeth. To them she was a hindrance. She was a smart young woman, very perceptive to people around her. Her views were extreme but right, she was especially determined to…change…the treaty. Your great-grandparents thought that if they kept her away from society then she would become timid and quiet. She was locked up in the East Wing, hence the story of the fire. It was easier for them to hide her away if everyone thought she had perished.'

I still felt the shock of discovering a relative that I had never known about. Edward obviously sensed this and stopped for a moment, stroking my face gently until I responded.

'I am fine, please continue.'

He gave me a half-smile, still not convinced by my words. He smile perked up after he heard my almost audible reaction from my heart, his smile was still breathtaking.

'I worked with Elizabeth on many occasions. Carlisle volunteered to help her and he thought it would be better for Elizabeth to know other people. She was not allowed out and spent everyday locked in the room I took you to yesterday. She was weak from no exercise and she sometimes did not willingly eat. Her exclusion from interaction with other people made her extraordinarily wary of the few people she knew. She could sense who was in the room with her. She confided in me that her favourite person was her sister who visited her on rare days when she snuck out.  
Elizabeth spent her time occupying herself with old land documents given to her by her father. She soon decided that the treaty was wrong, that the other party had no right to live and own the land that had been donated to them on the understanding that they were the rightful owners. I was soon convinced of this theory. After a few years, Elizabeth planned to break out of her prison. She wanted to view the land documents that were kept by her father. By this time, her mother had died from TB and her father was slowly dying from extreme chest infections. Her sister owned and worked the estate. Your grandmother now had control over the documents.  
Elizabeth snuck out one night, tricking a young maid into believing that she was her sister. She stole the land documents, running away from her home. For two days a large search was on for her. She came to us and begged to stay for a while until she found a place to stay. Esme and Carlisle agreed, we had plenty of space and she trusted us. Carlisle made her write a letter to her sister, explaining the situation.  
I had a chance to look over the land documents while she was at our house. They confirmed her theories and I showed them to Emmett and Carlisle. Unfortunately we could do nothing, we were outside of treaty laws because of our existence.'

I stared at him. He noticed this and shrugged.

'The other party knew of our coven. They sent us numerous letters to make us agree to the treaty at hand.'

I nodded again, the information was slowly sinking in.

'We could not stay much longer. We do not age, and we were already trying to convince people that we were six years older than our actual age. Carlisle knew that Elizabeth was dying, she was not immune to diseases on the outside world. Her imprisonment had made her vulnerable. He could count down the days until her death on one hand. Before she passed away, she asked to see her sister again. Carlisle agreed and took her back to the estate. That was the last we heard of Elizabeth and your grandmother.'

He paused again, it was not until now that I realised my face was frozen. I searched through my mind for a valid reason for my posture but came up with nothing. Instead my mouth opened of it's own free will.

'You…can't age?'

He hung his head, ashamed.

'That was one of the reasons why I did not want you to become close to me.'

I noticed something in his eyes. Something small but present.

'You have a question that you want to ask me.'

He smiled, meeting my gaze again. His golden eyes seemed to melt my body with their intensity.

'Yes, I do actually. How much do you know about the crests?'

I frowned.

'The Swan and the Black crests?'

He nodded, still smiling. I launched into the story, giving every detail that I knew.

'The crests are the two sides of the treaty. The Swan's are said to be the rightful owners of the land to the right of the reservation, the Black's are the owners of the reservation. The Swan's used to own all of the land but there were many fights between the Natives and the new settlers. The Natives claimed all rights to the land but they had moved here just like the settlers. Instead of wars breaking out, the Swan's agreed to give them a decent piece of land for a reservation. The Blacks agreed to not fight or cause harm on our land and we on their's. We are still good friends with the current Blacks, Billy and his son Jacob.'

His face still held a mask of calm about it, he was tense but did not show it well. His face relaxed and he smiled.

'So you know as much as I do in relation to the past. Now I have to tell you about the incident.'

I became alert, sitting up straighter, hanging onto his every word more than I had done before.

'We arrived here again almost five years ago. We did not make ourselves known until two years ago. Carlisle settled into his job as a doctor, claiming to be his own son. Alice and Jasper had joined us, we were a large family, unusual considering Carlisle and Esme's ages. We told the same lies as before, keeping our identity hidden.-'

'Bella? Bella come out here now!'

I cursed fluently under my breath. Ms Coote had a nasty habit of interrupting conversations. Edward stared at my sudden use of profanities, amused rather than shocked.

'I will be out in a minute.'

'No young lady, you will be out now-'

She opened the door and stood still, taking in our embrace. I struggled to stand up, blushing at the mocking brightening Ms Coote's eyes. She walked over to me, sweeping her hands over my dress, mumbling to herself.

'You do not have time to change, it will do for now. It is a good thing that the ride has been rescheduled to before the dinner. You will have to change after the ride, preferable into one of your more formal dresses.'

I grimaced at the mention of formal. I loved dresses but I hated corsets and the uncomfortable fit of today's new fashions. I could hear Edward quietly chuckling behind Ms Coote's back. I glared at him. He became serious for a moment, making me laugh at his expression. He gave me a curious look, as if he had no idea what I seemed to be amused about. Ms Coote stared between the two of us, annoyed at her lack of understanding in this situation. She threw her hands in the air and stormed out of the door, pausing to reprimand us.

'If you two continue to mess around during the ride then heads will roll. Your father is serious about this meeting Isabella.'

She smiled and closed the door behind her. I could swear that she muttered,

'And you will have plenty of time later to mess around.'

I shook my head, not wanting to leave this conversation. Edward was standing beside me, holding out his arm for me to take. I frowned at him again.

'Well we have to go down. I don't wish to get into trouble if you turn up late for the ride.'

I took his arm, half of me wanting to sit back down and finish the conversation, the other half desperate to touch him again.

We walked down to the main doors silently, I was concentrating on not making a fool out of myself. Even with Edward holding most of my weight as we descended the steps, I could not help but feel as if I could accidentally pull us both down with my clumsiness.

The house had been cleaned thoroughly for the dinner the other night but maids and servants still rushed around downstairs, scrubbing every visible inch of wall, floor and antique. I caught sight of Emmett walking quickly to the door in front of us. He spotted us and grinned again. Edward grimaced at his brother and proceeded to push me through the open doors.

The gardens had undergone a major transformation in the past twenty-four hours. Most of the dead and unwanted plants had been disposed of and the area was cleaned up considerably. I could not help but wonder what the gardens would look like from the tree.

People milled around the front steps of the garden. Many I recognised from the other night or from my childhood. I spotted my father chatting with Dr Cullen and I pulled Edward with me to talk to them.

'Ah Bella! We thought you were going to miss the ride.'

My father grasped my free hand firmly, our personal version of a hug. We were cut from the same cloth, so to say, we both were unwilling to display our feelings.

'It's nice to see you again Ms Swan.'

Carlisle shook my hand after my father had finished. His eyes lingered on my hand, entwined with Edward's. I seen him glance quickly at Edward. My father seemed to acknowledge Edward's presence at this point.

'Edward! It's good to see you outside again. Are you helping Bella here today?'

I glared swiftly at my father, my blush returning to my cheeks. I prayed that he would not begin tormenting me in front of Edward.

'Yes, sir. I volunteered to help Ms Swan in her ride today.'

Comprehension flickered through my father's face as he took in the sight of our hands. He nodded slowly, a friendly smile growing more prominent.

'Well Carlisle, it seems that we may have to organize a courtship if our two children keep up their rapidly growing friendship!'

I groaned quietly at my father's words. At least he was not embarrassing me too much. Carlisle nodded slowly, silently communicating with Edward. He smiled broadly.

'Yes, but only if they agree to the terms, we do not want them to be unhappy.'

I chanced a quick glance at Edward and noticed that he was facing away from me, a smile playing on his lips. He looked at me instantly and pulled me away from our fathers. I was forming apologetic sentences in my head as a familiar voice broke my trance.

'Bella Swan, is that you?'


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: **Sorry for not posting sooner, homework overload. Anyways, one question asked was what TB was. TB stands for tuberculosis and is a disease which usually rots away the lung. It can spread to other parts of the body and until the 1900's, many people died from it because of a lack of the cure. Back to the chapter, I'm doing this in Bella's POV because if I wrote it in Edward's POV then I would be posting a very, very long chapter (he over thinks everything and with thoughts flying through the air…yeah you get the drift). Thank you all for reviewing this, the more reviews, the faster I write so consider that when you read! Enjoy!!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters apart from the ones I come up with.

Bella's POV

The voice was one that I did not want to face. Annoying and cocky, just like the person who spoke.

'Jacob. How are you?'

I used my most polite voice, with a hint of unwillingness to speak in it. I wished that he would catch onto the hint and leave.

I had known Jacob Black ever since he was born. He was two years younger than me and it showed in every respect. He was immature, foul-mouthed and obnoxious. Also, he had used every summer to try and secure a courtship with me. As soon as I had turned twelve, I had made it clear to my father that he was the last person that I wished to marry. I had a feeling that he would continue his attempts for a long time, he was not easily deterred. I once told him that I had the plague when I was ten and he decided to try and catch it from me so as we could be together.

I thanked whoever was looking over me for sending me Edward. He would come in quite handy in order to keep Jacob away.

'I'm fine. In great health actually, I grew over six inches since I last seen you. You look very good, by the way. Is that a new dress? My father would be very glad to see you again. Did someone ever tell you about what happened when you were gone down at the reservation? Maybe we could take a walk and I could tell you. It's a very interesting story actually but it may be just a tad bit scary for you. I know how you do not like scary stories. If you want I could still tell you, I do not mind editing it a small bit for your sake.'

He stood in front of me, putting his arm through mine and attempted to pull me away, ignoring Edward completely.

Edward stood quietly, I desperately wished for him to speak up. He caught my eye and smiled, still not saying a word. I sighed and pulled my arm back quickly.

'Jacob. This is Edward. Edward Cullen.'

Jacob stiffened. Edward politely held out his hand to shake, a gleam of steel in his eyes.

'It's good to meet you, Jacob.'

Jacob folded his arms against his chest, glaring between the two of us.

'Hmm… Well Edward, I can take care of Bella. You can get back to your family.'

Edward made to speak but my mouth opened before he uttered a word.

'No he cannot leave me. You see Jacob, Edward and I are courting.'

I could feel the anger radiating off Jacob's frame. Edward merely smiled and slipped his hand back into mine.

'But…you…he…courting?! That is not…not…not right!'

Very in character, Jacob stormed away like a small boy who had his best toy just stolen.

I stifled laughter as Jacob stalked away, bursting out into laughter as he tripped over a chair leg. He picked himself up, looking around him before continuing his walk over to his father.

Edward was staring at me, curiosity filling his face and eyes. His head was cocked to the side and I suddenly stopped laughing, concentrating intently on breathing in and out. He smiled his breathtaking smile and stroked my cheek with his hand. Against his cool touch, my skin was alarmingly warm.

'W-what is it?'

He chuckled and looked down, suddenly shy.

'So we are courting now?'

He looked up again, a playful look coming into his liquid gold eyes. It was now my turn to be embarrassed.

'Well…I…onlyifyouwantto.'

I spluttered through my sentence, causing him to look confused.

'Sorry, I did not catch a word of that.'

I sighed, hanging my head before speaking. It was easier without my embarrassment showing and without him distracting me.

'I said…only…only if you want to.'

I kept my eyes glued to my shoes. A cool finger was under my chin, coaxing my face up. I looked up, only to be met by Edward's intent stare. My breath flew out of my mouth. He smiled again.

'I feel that _I_ should be asking _you_ if you would want to.'

It took several seconds for my mind to comprehend his question. Unfortunately for me, my mouth was several seconds faster than my mind.

'Yes!!'

I threw my arms around his neck, forgetting about the people around us. He hugged me back, letting go too soon. He was smiling, his eyes filled with some emotion close to happiness. I could feel the butterflies rising in my stomach as I looked at him. He definitely was too beautiful.

'Shall we tell our parents or wait for a while?'

He took my hand again, playing with my fingers as he spoke. I thought carefully before responding. My father did not take things lightly and he was quite overprotective of me.

'I think that it would be better to tell my father as soon as possible. It would be easier that way and I would prefer that he knew before the servants, I'm sure you know that news travels fast in the estate. Also, the sooner we tell them, the sooner it can go ahead.'

My heart was already fluttering wildly in my chest. I had a strong feeling that he could hear it by the way his mouth curved upwards every time my heart started to beat rapidly.

He nodded, pulling me gently over to where my father stood. He kissed my hand and darted off to get his parents. I stood still and waited for him to return. I strained my eyes to see where he had gone.

I jumped as arms wrapped around my waist. Cool breath tickled my neck.

'I wasn't gone for long. Why were you worried?'

As I turned around, Edward took a step back. Standing behind him were his parents. Carlisle smiled at me and Esme waved.

'It's good to meet you again Bella. From the way Edward is acting I think that you two have something that you wish to tell us.'

Edward rolled his eyes and pulled me over to my father, motioning for his parents to follow us. My father was finishing a chat with a local tradesman, he looked at us approaching and smiled, his eyed showing his confusion.

'Bella, Edward, Carlisle, Esme. What do you want?'

I could feel my courage buckling weakly beneath my will. It was now or never.

'We have something to ask of all of you. Edward and I were wondering… if it was possible to… start a courtship?'

I bowed my head and waited for everyone's reaction.

'That's wonderful! I'm very happy for the two of you.'

Esme seemed to be a kind woman, her words seemed to spark the men's reactions.

'Yes, yes. Of course.'

Carlisle smiled warmly and both Edward and I. Only my father was left. He seemed to be deliberating something.

'I suppose, if it is what you want, then I will agree. But, if you make my daughter suffer in any way then I will hunt you down.'

His voice was friendly but I knew the deadliness behind his words. He _would_ hunt Edward down.

'Don't worry, sir. I would never wish to hurt Bella.'

Edward's voice was filled with sincerity. I stared at his face, his eyes filled with some sort of passion. It was hard not to stare at him, I knew that I most likely looked like an idiot but I could not care less.

My father sighed.

'I suppose that Carlisle and I should start organising then.'

'Yes, of course, Charles.'

My father hated being called Charles. He smiled at Carlisle's politeness.

'Please, call me Charlie.'

It was clear that Edward and I were not needed. I pulled on his hand motioning for us to get away from their discussions.

Edward stopped me soon after we started walking. He leaned over and tapped a bent over servant on the shoulder. The servant turned out to be Emmett. Edward spoke to him in a low voice, his lips moving impossibly fast. Emmett replied in the same tone, throwing a friendly smile in my direction.

'Don't worry Bella. If my dear brother here hurts you, just tell me or any of our siblings and we'll break his neck for you.'

He flashed his teeth. I could not help but be reminded of what the Cullens were.

Edward glared at his brother. He started to pull me in the direction on a less crowded area. We walked over to the edge of the paved area. He turned around to face me.

'We have half an hour before the riding starts. Do you want to check out your horse or do something different?'

I could see flickers of excitement in his eyes as he said both plans. I picked up on the fact that he seemed more excited about the first plan.

'I think that I would like to see my horse first.'

He grinned and led me over to the stables.

I had only been in the stables twice before in my life. Once was the first time I arrived here, on the grand tour of the estate. The second time was to sneak a midnight ride on my last summer here. I had always had a passion for horses. Riding was the only athletic activity that I was capable of. I loved the feeling of the wind flying past your face, the freedom of the ride, the exhilaration of galloping through the dense woods…

I also found that horses seemed to be the most magnificent of creatures. Well, now, Edward was the most magnificent creature, but they still were beautiful. My father had a good habit of picking out the most majestic horses. He could seek out the most powerful purebreds and the most friendly crossbreeds. He always knew if I was able to handle the stronger horses, or if I just wanted a quiet trot.

Edward let go of my hand in the small courtyard area the sat in the middle of the stable area. He disappeared into one the stalls and reappeared with probably the most beautiful mare I had ever seen.

She was definitely purebred, ridiculously expensive by the look of her build. She had a shiny dark brown, almost black, coat. Her mane was silky. She was tall, around sixteen hands or so. Her body was strong, if it wasn't for the kind look in her eyes, I would have chosen a different horse. She looked too powerful for me to handle.

I walked around, admiring her. Edward smiled.

'Do you like her?'

'She's beautiful. What's her name?'

I walked over to stroke her face. She nuzzled my palm in a friendly way.

'She hasn't been named yet. She was bought for you so you get to choose her name.'

I stared into the eyes of the horse, trying to come up with a suitable name for this beauty. I needed to find out more about her before I named her.

'Has anyone ridden her yet?'

Edward smiled, now standing beside me.

'I was put in charge of breaking her in. She is definitely a good horse, one of the best I have come across. Rides smoothly, swiftly, like the wind in some ways.'

I took my hands away from her face, now settled on a name. Edward picked up on this.

'So what do you want to call her?'

'I think that I will call her "Twilight".' **A/N: I did not pick that name because of the books! A friend of mine used to have a mare called 'Twilight'.**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N:**I'm so sorry for not updating sooner. I had the chapter written up, and then I end up falling down the stairs just before I was about to post it. I'm on crutches and getting up and down is hard so chapters may not be up for a while. Also, I changed the summary a bit, just in case you're like me and go 'what the hell?' when you see a story summary in your e-mails that you don't remember reading. Anyway this is written in Bella's POV because I want to continue on from where I left off. Enjoy!

**Bella's POV**

Riding Twilight was unbelievable. She was as graceful as Edward, it seemed as though her hooves never touched the ground.

Edward had helped me up, my dress hindering my ability to climb into a saddle. He then climbed up after me, causing my heartbeat to speed up considerably at our proximity. I would never get used to him, he was too perfect.

We started off at a slow trot around the stable yard before cantering off to meet the riding group. Edward had reached around me to grip hold of the reins when we had started off, not for fear of me losing control, but to not appear strange, even on such a graceful horse no normal person would have been able to stay upright without some form of support. I welcomed his gesture eagerly, it allowed me to lean against his chest.

We met up with the group ten minutes after mounting Twilight. They planned to ride for just under an hour, enough time for one lap around the main woodland area on the estate.

The woodland areas on the estate were quite dense, usually not desirable for riding because of uneven ground. Most of the group consisted of men, with the only exceptions being myself and Angela Weber who was riding with her current suitor Ben Cheney. The group had a fast, constant pace, only slowing when we reached a particularly uneven piece of land or narrow gap between the trees separating the different areas.

My father and Carlisle led the group, with the Blacks close behind. The remainder trailed behind dutifully with Edward and I bringing up the rear.

The constant chatter from the front of the group drowned out the sound of wildlife in the woodland area, something I always enjoyed hearing. I leaned my face back, staring up at the canopy of leaves in hopes to see some birds flying through. My attempts were in vain, most living things had been frightened off by the sound of our group approaching.

I sighed loudly and settled for chatting to Angela. I would have gladly talked to Edward but because of his duty today it was not an approved action and would attract too much attention from the others.

'Angela, tell me, how are your brother and sister?'

She seemed a little surprised at the interruption of silence but smiled warmly at me. She had always been one the nicer girls in the area.

'They are well. My brother is going to soon grow into a good frame and Father says that he will be a strong young man in the years to come. My sister recently had a bad dose of a flu but is well now. She too is growing into quite the young lady. How are you settling in here at the estate?' Angela always thought of others before herself so asking questions about her life would only bring short answers and statements.

'Life here is…different, but I am beginning to enjoy it here.' I glanced quickly at Edward's face and noticed that he was smiling slightly, looking away from our conversation.

He caught my gaze and gave me a dazzling smile. Angela noticed our exchange and smiled at me.

'I see.'

I blushed and averted my gaze away from Angela and Edward knowing full well that I would turn a deeper shade of crimson if I continued this conversation.

We were halfway through the ride and I had only enjoyed being with Edward and chatting to Angela. I longed to return to the house, to escape from the group. Edward sensed this.

'If we cut through here we will reach the house in ten minutes.'

He pulled the reins to stop Twilight and pointed to a large gap leading though the trees, ending far from where my vision could see. It appeared to be a hard path to cross while riding but I had a lot of trust in both Edward and Twilight, so, I agreed.

I was not expecting to go full speed through the woodland area. Edward turned Twilight and kicked her into a fast gallop. We sped through the trees, blurs of green and brown flying past us. I was used to riding at speed but this made me feel nauseated.

The ground did not help ease the ride. The uneven surface and uncalled for speed caused Twilight's grace to drop slightly and the rocking motion of her gallop in addition to the whirl of scenery caused my stomach to churn. All I could do was will myself not to get sick.

After what felt like days of hurtling through the trees, Edward spoke.

'It will be over soon, just one more minute.'

Edward's voice had an amazing calming effect on me. I merely nodded in return but was grateful for my stomach to settle. We flew through the trees, and, true to his word, Edward's shortcut made us twenty minutes early.

We brought Twilight back to the stable and I waited outside while Edward brushed her down and settled her into the stable.

I stood patiently outside the gate to the stables, thinking back over our recent discussions. I was beginning to understand everything about my grandmother's sister and the lies and rumours that lay within the walls of the very house standing a few hundred yards in front of me were starting to fall into place.

I looked at my dress and noticed how dirty it had become from the ride. I could now imagine Mrs. Coote reprimanding me when I changed soon. She would more than likely call it a 'rag of filth' or 'something not fit for the light of day after my earlier activities'.

I looked back into the stables, surprised to see Twilight's saddle and pack already in the storeroom. Usually it took longer for someone to take off the equipment. I wondered how long it would take Edward to finish considering his obvious abilities.

He strode out after a few minutes, his speed still startling me. I had a chance to remember our conversation before we started out here and I was determined to finish it.

'You never told me about…' I paused, trying to word my sentence.

'You mean the incident?'

I nodded, thinking that I had made him uncomfortable. I stared ahead as we walked out to the house. Edward took a deep breath and launched into an explanation.

'You remember everything that I told you earlier?'

I nodded, my mouth threatening to interrupt him as he spoke.

'Do you recall when I spoke of the other party knowing of our coven?'

I nodded again.

'We had always wondered how they had known of…_us_. When we moved here again, we caught a strange scent. Something disturbingly horrid. Carlisle grew worried. He recognised the scent, and was wary of the situation it created. The scent was of werewolves. A pack of them.'

My face grew white but I was adjusting to the now common occurrence of mythical creatures. I honestly was waiting for him to tell me that a witch lived in the area. I nodded, wanting to hear more.

'You see we did not know of the presence of wolves before this. Our presence on the land forced them to keep their distance but when we left, they were able to cross over. Carlisle had…a theory about…our creation. He…he did not know whether it was true but Emmett and I have always believed it. You see to become…one of us…it isn't exactly easy to explain…I suppose that in theory…' Edward frowned and stopped walking. Frustration building in his eyes.

I stopped walking and looked at him. He sighed loudly and shook his head.

'The only way to explain this to you is to tell you what _I_ believe, and what I believe may not be true at all.' He took a deep breath before continuing.

'To create one of us, an equal, or in this case, opposite, must also be created. I suppose that to make it sound more believable is that I have always imagined the world balancing itself out by doing this. Our opposite happens to be a werewolf. So basically-'

'Every time a vampire is created, so is a werewolf?'

Edward made a slight head movement, amusement brightening his dark eyes.

'To simplify it, yes. But unfortunately, what I believe is more detailed. You see, the werewolf, or the idea to create a werewolf, came before the vampire. To create a werewolf…you…you need to first have the vampire created.'

Edward tried to keep his voice level but the amount of emotion behind it made it impossible for me to not feel his pain and anguish.

'To create a werewolf, you have to create a vampire, whether the human is willing or not to accept the change.'

He stopped and closed his eyes, visibly calming himself down. I could not wait any longer, had to understand about the incident before I fully comprehended what he was saying.

'But where does this tie in with the incident?'

Edward froze and slowly opened his eyes. I nearly backed away when I noticed the deep anger held within them.

'The incident was when Emmett and I went to get answers. The Blacks held the answers because they held the problem.'

I frowned. He was making perfect sense to me, but on two levels, one that he had spoken, and one that he originally meant to be understood.

'They had the werewolves?'

Edward's eyes darkened. The power behind them made _what_ he is more prominent than ever before.

'They created the wolves. They created us. They forced us to this life.'

**A/N: Again I'm so sorry for not updating sooner. I hope this wasn't too weird a chapter. I didn't want to do something too close to Twilight but I didn't want to do something too far from it either. To all of you who read my other story 'Warm Feet', I WILL be updating soon but I have no time at the moment because of the exams coming in less than a month. I promise to have another chapter up for both that story and this story this weekend. Don't forget to review!**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N:**Yay another chapter up! I've had this written for a while but I screwed up the name when I saved it, so suffice to say, it took me a week to realise that it was in another folder. I'm trying out Jacob's POV for a bit, if it's a success then he will have a large part in this story. I'm trying my best (trying being the operative word) to keep him as a good guy in this story (I usually hate him but this idea popped into my head the other day). Anyways thanks so much to everyone who has reviewed, next chapter will have a small 'Hall of Review Fame' so those of you who have been very supportive will get small shout out. Don't forget to review!

**Disclaimer: **I own a copy of the books but not the rights, don't murder me for messing around with them

**Jacob's POV**

Finally, Isabella Swan was back. The girl who I had sworn to secure the hand of before my twenty-first birthday had come back for good.

Her earlier exclamation of her courtship with the Cullen would not put a damper on my efforts. Nothing had stopped me before, not her father, not my sisters, not even my own father. When I was committed to achieving a goal, I would make sure to see that I won first place. In this case, the trophy was the most beautiful girl to live in this rundown area.

I had spent many years getting close to Bella. I always visited her with my father and bribed a maid or servant every summer to help me gather information. They were very informative of her likes and dislikes. Every visit I came prepared with flowers and treats for her that she would most definitely had liked.

I knew of her every habit, of her daily routine. I could tell when she was hungry, when she was tired. I was perfect for her, I just knew it.

I broke out of my own thoughts when my father asked me a question.

'Jacob would enjoy to come down here more often this season, wouldn't you son?'

I held back my thoughts that were threatening to break through my lips.

'Yes, I would. I enjoy this estate. It has always been a pleasure to come down here.'

_A pleasure to spend the day with Bella._

Bella's father looked thoughtful for a moment before smiling slightly at me.

'Well unfortunately if you do come down here, you will be alone apart from the servants. I'm afraid to say that because of Bella and Edward's courtship, she will not be permitted to be in the presence of other young gentlemen. Standard procedure that I am sure you are aware of from your sisters. My family also has strict rules concerning these matters.'

I glanced back to Bella as Charlie droned on. His constant monotone of a voice was boring and frightfully awful for a man of his stature.

The angel before me was sitting in the arms of the devil himself. I glared at Edward's face until he stopped gazing at Bella, who was chatting to the Weber girl, and looked at me.

I nearly caused my horse to walk off track when I met his gaze. His unusual eye colouring had always alerted us to his…_being_, but his glare made me more aware of what he was. His eyes showed extreme anger, to the point of murderous insanity.

I broke away and met the gaze of my father. He glared at me also, bringing his horse closer to mine before hissing at me.

'I'll talk to you at home later young man. You know better than to alert other people to our dislike of _them_. What if someone spotted you two, glaring at each other?'

I bowed my head and dropped back in the group slightly, now nearing the back.

We continued for a short time before I dared to glance back at Bella.

_To hell with Edward_, I thought to myself.

I stopped my horse, pretending to search nearby bushes, and looked back. Bella and Edward had stopped also. They had turned to the side and Edward was speaking quietly to Bella. I watched as Bella smiled weakly at him and replied to his question. Before I knew what happened, they were gone.

I kicked my horse to the spot where they had been seconds before.

As I approached the spot, I noticed the trees swaying. There was a narrow gap going through the woods, big enough to ride through.

Without thinking, I kicked my horse viciously, forcing it to go through the gap without any fight. I knew that I had no idea where to go but I wanted to follow Bella.

I rode carelessly through the woods, my horse faltering many times. Eventually the trees thinned out.

_Finally_

I pushed the horse further, recognising where I had now ended up. I broke into the light that was being dimmed by a large covering of cloud.

_Perfect for them to be out._

I could see Bella standing a small distance away from the stables, Cullen by her side. They were walking slowly back up to the house.

I brought my horse to the stables and tied her to a nearby pole, not bothering to take her saddle off or clean her. I then ran quietly behind Bella and Cullen.

We had learned many years ago that we from the reservation have a certain…_immunity_ to some of _their_ powers. One of our gifts being that we can go unnoticed by one of them. Only those who have been changed or who are descendants of the Elders can access these powers though.

I had never fully understood out heritage. The only thing that I understood was that there was them and there was us, enemies from the beginning of creation itself.

I was lucky enough to be a descendant of one of the Elders, the first of our kind. I had never had to experience the change or understand either. I wanted to learn more but only those who were to be changed could know of the secrets. It had been tribal law for centuries.

Our tribe had moved many times since it began first. It had come to this area before and our ancestors had made sure that their presence would never be forgotten.

I stopped myself from rambling in my own mind and focused on the task at hand. A few deep breaths were all it took to gather enough concentration to get within listening range of Bella. I kept to the side of the grass, hiding within the dense ivy and bushes that lined the edge of the walk.

I waited impatiently for their conversation to start up again.

'You never told me about…' Bella began to speak but paused.

'You mean the incident?'

As soon as he spoke, I felt my concentration wavering. I kept myself concentrated on Bella, watching as she nodded slowly.

'You remember everything that I told you earlier?'

Bella nodded again. I wondered what they had been discussing earlier…

'Do you recall when I spoke of the other party knowing of our coven?'

I nearly froze, they were discussing us. I was now intrigued to what he was going to say next.

'We had always wondered how they had known of…_us_. When we moved here again, we caught a strange scent. Something disturbingly horrid. Carlisle grew worried. He recognised the scent, and was wary of the situation it created. The scent was of werewolves. A pack of them.'

I smiled, so they were afraid of us.

'You see we did not know of the presence of wolves before this. Our presence on the land forced them to keep their distance but when we left, they were able to cross over. Carlisle had…a theory about…our creation. He…he did not know whether it was true but Emmett and I have always believed it. You see to become…one of us…it isn't exactly easy to explain…I suppose that in theory…'

He stopped walking and I pushed deeper into the ivy, attempting to stay hidden.

'The only way to explain this to you is to tell you what _I_ believe, and what I believe may not be true at all.'

I could no longer see them from my current hiding spot but I could hear them perfectly.

'To create one of us, an equal, or in this case, opposite, must also be created. I suppose that to make it sound more believable is that I have always imagined the world balancing itself out by doing this. Our opposite happens to be a werewolf. So basically-'

'Every time a vampire is created, so is a werewolf?'

My breath hitched and I grasped onto a handful of leaves beside me, grounding them to near dust as I tried to stay quiet.

'To simplify it, yes. But unfortunately, what I believe is more detailed. You see, the werewolf, or the idea to create a werewolf, came before the vampire. To create a werewolf…you…you need to first have the vampire created.'

My brain processed this information slowly, not wanting to accept the truth.

'To create a werewolf, you have to create a vampire, whether the human is willing or not to accept the change.'

I closed my eyes, what he was saying cannot be true, I would not believe it to be true.

'But where does this tie in with the incident?'

Bella's voice was soothing to my distressed state.

'The incident was when Emmett and I went to get answers. The Blacks held the answers because they held the problem.'

I opened my eyed at the mention of our name.

'They had the werewolves?'

Bella's voice sounded unsure.

'They created the wolves. They created us. They forced us to this life.'

I stopped breathing when he spoke. The emotion alone behind his words would have been enough to make anyone frightened, but it was what he said that made me anxious.

_We_ could not have created _them_.

_We_ create wolves to fight _them._

_Could we have created them?_


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N:** Sorry, I know that you are probably screaming at me right now, but I have to post this a/n. My exams start tomorrow, so I won't be posting any more chapters until the 12th because of them. I'll try and work as fast as possible after that to make up for it. Sorry again! If you have anything that you want to say during then, just pm me or review and I'll try and get back to you.

Now do you want the next chapter in **Bella's POV**, **Edward's POV** or **Jacob's POV**?

Bella's POV would be the aftermath of her talk with Edward before, and of course the dinner...

Edward's POV would also be the aftermath of the talk...but could he sense Jacob's presence earlier?...

Jacob's POV would be him comprehending what he just found out and looking at his choices...

PM or review and choose!


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N:**Exams are finally over and summer has finally arrived (well no school at least, it's still rain and cold over here). I'm going to try and make-up for not updating for a while by writing more often or posting longer chapters, whichever comes easiest. Now it was very close to whose POV this chapter would be written in so I have decided to start off my summer with an extra long chapter, including all three POV's. Many people wanted Edward's and Bella's in the one but a lot also wanted Jacob's so I decided to give in and write this. Don't forget to review, it will make me write quicker!!

FYI: _Italics_ are flashbacks or thoughts

**Jacob's POV**

I leaned against the side of a wooden boarder, grasping onto the frame to keep myself from collapsing.

What he said could not have been true.

I would not believe it.

Would I?

I shook my head and attempted to comprehend the situation.

I had always believed my father when he had told me three years ago about the wolves. I had never doubted him until now.

_The moon was low that night, it made the water of the lake reflect it so two orbs of light were present. We all sat patiently, waiting for my father to begin._

_There were six of us there; Sam, Quil, Embry, Paul, Seth, and myself. We sat in a circle around the fire, knowing that this was not a friendly gathering, we were there to learn something important._

_Sam had an inkling as to what my father was about to say. He had heard stories from some of the older boys in the area._

'_I bet we're about to be chosen,' he whispered to Quil._

_Sam was after turning sixteen, the rest of us were only thirteen._

_His father was never around, he wasn't exactly the father of the year and everyone knew that. Because of his absence and Sam's angst growing up, he had gotten into a lot of trouble. The reminders of this were present in his breath and on his clothes and body. Most of the fathers had tried to look after him but he quickly shook them off._

_My thoughts were interrupted when a sudden silence enveloped the group, my father appeared at the head of the circle and began to speak._

'_Many years ago, we were once wolves. Evolution made us into what we are today but we have never abandoned our brothers. To this day we still look after and respect our tribal laws, to go against them is punishable. The laws state that wolf numbers must never dwindle, that we should create them in order to keep our presence alive and known.'_

'_None of you are aware of these laws. It is traditional to tell a young man when he turns thirteen of the laws,' he focused on Sam when he spoke, 'It is traditional to tell a Chosen One when he turns sixteen.'_

_A murmur fluttered across the group. Sam's eyes lit up and his chest swelled with pride._

'_I'm ready,' was all he said._

_My father acknowledged him and continued._

'_In order to create a wolf, a sacrifice of sorts is needed. We need a victim to become a vampire in order to create a wolf. Nature needs to be balanced and so this is how it is done. The vampires are our enemies, we have fought with them since the beginning of Creation, but we are the ones to bring them to what they are today. That is why they fight us.'_

_I was beginning to shiver in the warm air, goose bumps rising along my bare arms. Sam and the others listened on intently. Sam leaned forward slightly and spoke up._

'_What age do you become a wolf? How does the process work? Who will be my sacri-'_

_My father put his hand up to silence him._

'_You become a wolf at the age of nineteen. At that point you will get your powers. Those of us who are descendants already have these and therefore cannot be chosen,' he glanced at me and I relaxed slightly._

'_The process is complicated and will not be revealed fully until you turn nineteen. I can tell you now that we need a human to become a vampire and another wolf to aid the transformation. Your sacrifice will be chosen by the vampire who was created by the last wolf in your blood line.'_

_Sam's eyes were sparkling, he was literally jumping to find out more. Quil nudged him and he calmed down slightly, smiling smugly as he spoke up once more._

'_I have two more questions. Firstly, who was the last wolf in my blood line and how will the vampire choose my sacrifice?'_

_My father smiled slightly as he spoke. I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up, it was not a friendly smile, but a menacing one._

'_The last wolf in your blood line was your grandfather…he was changed about 102 years ago. The vampire created by his transformation was chosen by anger and jealously, so your sacrifice will be chosen from the opposite, love.'_

_Sam settled back into his place but was not finished._

'_I have heard something about changing a vampire back to a human.'_

_My father growled and Sam fell quiet._

'_Yes. It is possible,' he sighed and looked at each of us in turn, 'To change a vampire back, a Chosen One, a changed one or a descendant must be killed. The vampire must have a vial of the wolf's blood before the wolf dies in order for that specific one to be saved, otherwise the chosen vampire of the wolf is changed. That is the reason for all of the fighting, for all of the boundary laws. They want us dead.'_

_Sam shifted in his place and met my father's gaze._

'_What did the vampire look like? The one that was changed by my grandfather's transformation.'_

_For a second my grandfather looked thoughtful. Then he looked apprehensive._

'_He had copper hair,' was all he replied._

_Something clicked in my head._

'_You mean the middle Cullen child?' I blurted out._

_My father looked at me and nodded._

'_Yes the Cullen boy.'_

I froze once more when the memory ended.

Edward Cullen was changed by Sam's grandfather.

A wave of sadness washed over me as I thought about his situation. Being forced to stay seventeen forever, trapped in a body that lusted over the blood of everyone around him… poor Bella having to be faced with the prospect of growing older than him.

My blood pounded in my head and fear was turning my stomach solid.

Bella.

Edward loved her.

She was chosen by him.

She was next.

**Bella's POV**

We entered the Great Room only to be greeted by everyone else.

'Ah! There they are!' my father exclaimed at the head of the table, 'Come you two. We have reassembled the seating arrangements slightly so as both of you can sit together.'

The ever present flush entered my cheeks as we passed staring faces on our way to the opposite end of the table.

I could hear the murmurings of gossip being passed around as we walked by.

My father was a the head of the table with the Cullen's to his left and Mr Black to his right, Jacob was missing.

I sat on my father's left with Edward sitting between his parents and myself.

I could still feel the emotion radiating off him and as I glanced towards him, I noticed a silent conversation going on between him and his father. He nodded his head a fraction and met my gaze. I reached for his hand under the table and gave it a squeeze. He smiled at me and finally relaxed.

My father beamed at us and continued his chat with Mr Black.

I overheard Jacob's name being mentioned.

'Where is Jacob?' I asked.

My father looked at the empty place as the food was being served and looked towards Mr Black again.

'Yes, Billy, where has your son gotten to? He must have smelled the food by now. We all know that boy has an endless stomach.'

Mr Black smiled at the banter and replied simply, 'He must be off walking.'

I noticed how Mr Black never looked at Edward or I. He was sitting directly opposite us but chose to either look at my father or at his plate.

Whenever my father spoke about me, Mr Black would incline his head in my direction but never meet my gaze.

This was extremely unusual. Because of my 'friendship' with Jacob when we were younger, Mr Black was like a second father to me.

He seemed to ignore the fact I existed now.

I decided to test my observation by asking him a question.

'How are things on the reservation, Mr Black?'

He stiffened slightly but seemed to now hear me.

Edward stopped picking at his food and inclined his head slightly towards us.

I decided to try again.

'How are things on the reservation, Mr Black? How are all of the others?'

Mr Black shrugged slightly and tried to find another conversation to join.

I was not going to give up easily and remembered all of Jacob's friends.

'How is Quil?'

Mr Black made no reply.

'Paul?'

Nothing again.

'Sam?'

Mr Black choked on his piece of meat. Edward started to hiss. A growl came from behind Mr Black.

Jacob stood behind his father and gave him a terrifying look.

He locked eyes with Edward and the hissing became growling.

'Edward, dear, you should go outside if your feeling unwell. Your stomach is making _quite_the racket.' Esme leaned around her husband and motioned for Edward to stand and leave.

I stood with him and grabbed hold of his hand.

'I'll come with you.'

He looked at me and nodded, my determination showing on my face.

I glanced over at Jacob and he gave me the single saddest look I have ever seen.

Edward pulled me along quickly, not stopping for anything or anyone.

I felt the frustration in his stride.

I spotted Emmett standing in the corner of the room. He looked at Edward and made his way toward us.

'What-'

Edward interrupted him by dragging him outside with me.

As soon as the door had closed shut Emmett launched into questioning him.

'What was all that? I've never seem you that angry-'

'I'll explain later,' Edward said curtly.

Emmett had no problem keeping pace with Edward. I, on the other hand, was about to fall over at any point, and that point happened to be that very second.

My feet tripped over themselves as we climbed up the stairs and the stone floor flew up to meet me. Edward's hand let go of my hand and went to grip my shoulder. I spun sideways as he grabbed hold of me, one side being held up while the other came into contact with the ground. My shoulder banged into the step painfully and my wrist cracked on the lower one.

I let out a small whimper as Edward pulled me up. My eyes were brimming with tears so I could not see Edward or Emmett clearly.

'Bella? Bella, are you okay? You should have been more careful Edward. You know she can't keep up-'

'Just keep quiet,' Edward's breathing was shallow, he was concentrating very hard on keeping calm.

I blinked back the tears and their faces became clearer.

Emmett looked worried but brightened up when I met his gaze.

Edward looked anxious but fury was breaking through his calm mask.

'Are you okay?'

I nodded, wincing at the pain in my shoulder.

'Come on, I'll carry you up.'

He reached down and knocked my legs from under me. Before I knew it we were standing outside some of the servants' bedrooms.

Emmett opened the door and walked in, closing it behind Edward and I.

'Would you care to explain what has gotten you so wound up?'

Edward placed me gently on the bed before straightening up and facing Emmett.

**Edward's POV**

I knew.

I knew about everything we had been searching for.

Years had been spent looking for this information and all it had took was the mention of a name from Bella.

Finally, I understood what had to be done.

I knew that under normal circumstances I would be beating myself up internally for letting Bella hurt herself but keeping myself under control was a difficult task.

'Would you care to explain what has gotten you so wound up?'

I carefully placed Bella on my bed before turning to answer my brother.

_What should I say?_

_That what we had nearly killed for was revealed?_

_That _they_ created us just to keep their numbers up?_

_That we could be normal if they just died?_

_That Bella was next?_

I looked in his eyes and he recognised the emotion in mine.

'You know?'

He was so surprised that he said it out loud. Bella looked at us curiously.

'Know what?' was all she whispered.

I took a deep breath and answered her before Emmett could.

'Everything.'

**Jacob's POV**

I glared at my father long after Edward and Bella had left.

People were beginning to notice but I did not care.

'Jacob? Please have a seat,' Charlie gestured at the chair in front of me but I ignored it.

My father refused to meet my gaze, he continued to go on as if nothing had happened.

The Cullens had looked at me curiously at first but had the decency to not gape or ask questions.

Every second that passed made my anger grow.

I felt like punching someone for the future pain that Bella would have to endure.

I understood that many others have gone through the same thing but she should not have to be subjected to that.

I also understood that if she was changed then her and Edward could be together but from my earlier silent exchange with Edward I knew that that was not an option. He opposed the idea as much as I did.

That left one option.

'Father, can I speak with you outside?'

He continued to stare at his plate as he replied.

'It can wait Jacob, now sit.'

I forced myself to keep calm and growled at him.

'No it can't.'

**A/N: I apologise for writing a short Edward POV but I couldn't do a long one. Also sorry for the whole flashback thing. Anyway just send me a pm or review if you want something to be put into the next few chapters.**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: **I know you're killing me virtually right now but I wanted to let you know that I have left this chapter in your hands (cue all 'huh?'s).

I've added a profile and to clear a few things up, **you can choose 2 choices**, but if a FILLER chapter gets high demands then another option will be added to the chapter to make it longer.

Now a few queries to clear up because my email is basically screwed up.

**The whole vampire-human change:** When the wolf is killed, the vampire that was created by that wolf is changed. If a specific vampire is to be changed, then some of the wolf's blood has to be kept by the vampire as an amulet of sorts. Confusing, I know…

Oh and by the way, as much as I adore the 'your writing is amazing' and 'you have a great imagination', I feel kinda bad because if you were as bored as I was then you would come up with some weird storylines too (try sitting through my business class when all you have to keep you occupied is writing a joint fan-fic with your friend involving Emmett and the Spice Girls…yes that's how bored we get)

**Now go and do the poll so as I can write the chapter! Any other ideas or comments can be left in a review or pm!!**


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: I know, you can kill me if you want. I just thought I should officially announce this.**

**Both this story, New Arrivals, and my other story, Warm Feet, are on hiatus.**

**I hit a big bit of writer's block over the summer and personal problems that started back in February have escaladed recently and I don't know when they will, or if they will, ever be fixed.**

**I do plan on coming back to the story some day, but it may be not be for a while.**


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